The SLHTA through its Tourism Enhancement Fund was able to donate much needed school supplies to the Alexander Family Foundation and Events.

Donette Ismael, TEF Programme Manager made the donation on behalf of the TEF. The donation which is the first of its kind from the TEF was made possible by Serenity Vacation and Tours and the participants of the annual Run for Fun Cruise Event held earlier this year. The supplies which includes school bags and a number of other items are valued at approximately $10,000.00.

On hand to receive the supplies was Ms. Maylisa Alexander founder of the Foundation. The foundation on a yearly basis provides school supplies to children from Castries, Anse- la Raye, Canaries, Soufriere and Laborie and Environs.

The event was held at the SLHTA Secretariat, Rodney Heights, Gros- Islet.
We are thrilled to announce to you that the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund is an official partner of the Virtual Island Summit 2020!

The Virtual Island Summit is the first of its kind event, connecting leaders from around the world to drive sustainability and prosperity for island communities.

There will be over 30 interactive panels, roundtables and keynote sessions all packed with networking opportunities and the chance for you to ask questions, have your say and get involved in the discussions with world-class experts from across the globe. 

Sessions cover a variety of important topics for islands around economic recovery, sustainability and good governance, including:
  • Towards Sustainable Island Futures: Comparing Small Island States and Subnational Island Jurisdictions
  • Clean Energy Development and Integrated Resource Planning (IRP)  
  • Democracy In The Islands: Political, Issue & Public Affairs Campaigns
  • Technology and Innovation Policy for Island Sustainability
  • Political Roundtable Of Island Political Leaders On Responses To COVID-19
  • Meet Ellen, the Future of Clean Maritime Transport
  • and more!

The summit makes these important conversations accessible to all with a platform to share knowledge and drive change.

Cheers,
The CBF Secretariat
Human Resources Management: Helpful HR Practices in the Face of COVID-19

While COVID-19 has delayed much of the industry’s operations, no element has been more affected by the change than our most important resource. From hotel employees to waiters at restaurants, hospitality personnel have suffered greatly due to the changes in our world. Therefore, it is the role of management to lend a helping hand to aid them in successfully coping with the new normal. In order to ensure this, there are some simple practices that can be taken at an organizational level. It is the interest of management to adopt a proactive attitude as it relates to all things COVID. The following are some handy measures that can be taken to facilitate this:
  • Proper Dissemination of Information
In times like these, the proper management of information is crucial in order to prevent misunderstandings and ultimately conflict between employer and employee. Some measures that can be taken to ensure proper information dissemination are:
  1. Identifying a point person or team to take the lead on communicating COVID related updates with staff.
  2. Keeping up with the latest information from national and local authorities.
  3. Regularly providing up-to-date and reliable information to workers.

  • Implementing Workplace Hygiene Practices
By now, we all know the importance of social distancing and mitigating the effects of the virus to our personal bodies. However, at an organizational level, there are helpful policies that can be developed by HR to encourage company-wide safety amongst employees. These include:
  1. limiting or banning non-essential work travel.
  2. Ensuring physical distancing when interacting with people outside the workplace as much as possible. 
  3. organizing work to reduce person-to-person contact, ensuring physical distance at the workplace, or implementing remote work arrangements.

  • Scale Down of Operations
With the challenges that the pandemic presents, it is inevitable that larger operations will have to scale down a bit to keep the books balanced. This must be done with efficiency and with the wellbeing of employees in mind. While working from home may be an option for some positions, others may require workers to be on the job due to the service nature of our industry. To ensure that these individuals are effective while maintaining protocol, management may consider the following:
  1. Staggering working hours
  2. Implementing or enhancing shift arrangements
  3. Deferring non-critical work events and scaling down critical work events

The truth is, in the wake of COVID-19, now more than ever, people come first. Let us continue to take steps to stay on top of things.

For more information on how to help employees in this new landscape, visit https://www.ilo.org/global/topics/coronavirus/lang--en/index.htm. 
The Caribbean Tourism Organization is partnering with CaribHRForum Virtual Conference taking place on 17-19 Sept, 2020. It’s all happening online - the first cross-regional conference with 50+ speakers, 70+ hours of learning and free registration to all. Register at https://virtualconf.caribhrforum.com.
Our New Normal:
COVID Protocols Revisited

There is no doubt that the changes in our environment have called for a shift in the way we do industry related business. Our new normal demands that we place an even greater emphasis on the health and safety of the guest that we have committed to serve. It is for this reason; we advise that you continue to follow the guidelines and protocols recommended by our Ministry of Health as we strive to make the best of the current situation. 

As you are aware, the country has started the process of accepting visitors both regionally and internationally. Based on the analysis of available data, the Government has put together a “Designated Travel Bubble” for those countries in our region which have been coping with the virus relatively well and therefore are less likely to have citizens who are infected by the disease. We must assure you however, that there are still strict protocols for regional tourists and that a sound, safe and serene time for all those involved in the process is our ultimate goal. 

Guest arrivals are not limited to only visitors within the bubble’s parameters. However, extra documentation and testing is required before entrance can be approved. Our goal is to keep the island as COVID-free as possible while trying to get this essential industry rebooted.

To date, twelve of the hotels on island are COVID-19 certified and currently in operation, with a few others scheduled to open later in the month of September. The following are the properties that are registered and open as at 4th September 2020:
1. Serenity at Coconut Bay
2. Stonefield Villa Resort
3. Sugar Beach, A Viceroy Resort
4. Tet Rouge Resort
5. Sandals Grande St Lucian
6. Jade Mountain
7. Ladera Resort
8. Caille Blanc Villa & Hotel
9. Cap Maison
10. Anse Chastanet
11. Bay Gardens Beach Resort & Spa
12. Sandals Regency La Toc
Please note that the situation as it relates to COVID-19 is ever changing. Stay tuned as we keep you informed and updated, as we strive to continue to serve our guests to the best of our ability.
For more information concerning the details of the revised COVID-19 protocols, visit http://www.slhta.com/coronavirus/ 
CHRIS+HOLA Connect unifies the Caribbean Hotel & Resort Investment Summit (CHRIS) and Hotel Opportunities Latin America (HOLA) events into one virtual hotel investment conference.

The three-day online event, scheduled for September 8-10, 2020, will include plenary session programming, region-specific breakout sessions, and networking opportunities that are pertinent to all hoteliers. Meet and connect with the hotel investment community, wherever you are in the world!

Don't miss out on this excellent line-up of nearly 90 speakers.