SLHTA provides training for 200 Crime and Security Professionals
In an ongoing effort to address safety and security issues, the SLHTA has engaged Dr. Peter Tarlow to provide training workshops to local security professionals including members of the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force. This week over 200 persons undertook the training program titled “Tourism Security Makes Good Cents”. The workshops were held at the Police Academy in Castries and at Leisure Inn, Soufriere. The training program was well received by participants, many of whom experienced great value from the concepts discussed. Some of the themes included:
  1. What is Tourism Surety?
  2. How do we stop a crisis before it begins?
  3. How is a Tourism crisis different from other crisis?
  4. How to handle complaints?
  5. Importance of customer service for Tourism
  6. Communication between Tourism components and the world
  7. Risk and Crisis Management
  8. What are the costs of not being safe and secure?

In addition to conducting the training workshops, Dr. Tarlow also held meetings with the Honorable Prime Minister, Honorable Minister for National Security, Commissioner of Police, SLHTA President, SLHTA 1st Vice President, TEF Chairman and SLHTA CEO.

The training program and the topics covered emerged from a Security Audit conducted earlier this year in which SLHTA members and partners echoed the need for support in a number of areas. As the project continues to unfold, partners are hopeful that next steps will include discussions on a National Tourism Security Plan and improved Community and Tourism Policing.
The Saint Lucia Hospitality & Tourism Association’s Tourism Enhancement Fund successfully facilitated a workshop on tourism safety and security for over 200 persons last week. The one day workshop led by international safety and security expert, Dr Peter Tarlow, was attended by a large cross section of hospitality and security professionals. Held from October 22nd - 25th, the four one-day sessions in Castries and Soufriere included representatives from the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force and the Port and City Police as well as members of the Immigration Department. Also in attendance were beach vendors, jet ski operators, taxi drivers, vendors from Castries, Gros Islet and Soufriere and a number of local tour guides... Read More
SLHTA welcomes first Goodwill Ambassador back home
  
The air was fueled with an anticipation of enthusiasm as we awaited our Star, St. Lucia’s high Jumper Levern Spencer who arrived on Delta Airlines on the afternoon of Monday October 21st 2019, fresh from her Pan American Games where she won gold. She walked into the VIP Lounge at the Hewanorra International airport accompanied by her Manager Mr. Gregory Dickson ‘as cool as a cucumber, poised to meet the primed media personnel adorned with their cameras for that perfect shot of her entrance. she smiled as she was greeted with the flashing lights and ‘click, click’ sounds made by an instrument which gave many a glimpse into her life, pausing for a moment and moving on to greet her mother and other family members and friends.

The proceedings began with the welcoming remarks by SLHTA’S Ms. Yola St. Jour and board director Mr. Kirk Elliott who shed clarity on why she was chosen as SLHTA’S Goodwill Ambassador. Levern he said, was chosen for her.. .Read More (Photo by: Stan Bishop)
Gault Millaut Guide Award for Chef Orlando Satchell
  
For this second edition of the Kweyol Food and Rhum Festival taking place in Martinique, illustrious chefs from the French West Indies have teamed up with chefs from eight English speaking Caribbean Countries, along with their counterparts from Canada and France, in a culinary display that showcases their mastery of regionally grown products, herbs and species.
 
The tasty local menus are being sampled by business professionals, students and the general public. The internationally renowned Chef Orlando is representing Saint Lucian gastronomy in Martinique through workshops with students and professionals.
 
The show opened on Sunday, October 20 at Saint James' Distillery and was an opportunity for Chef Orlando to meet the public and showcase the destination of Saint Lucia through succulent dishes and desserts. "Saint Lucia is always a huge success with the people of Martinique who like to share their travel experience or their dream of discovering the destination." says Annie Lefroy, SLTA's Sales Manager for the French Caribbean.
 
Chef Orlando will spend a full week Martinique, making stops across the north to the south of the island promoting Saint Lucia's gastronomy. In view of the public's enthusiasm for Saint Lucia during these events, SLTA French West Indies in collaboration with the organizers Mrs Veronique Bidauld Des Chaumes and Sébastien Ripari are thinking of other events to highlight the Chefs.

Whilst in Martinique Chef Orlando was presented with an award by the renowned Gault Millaut guide (Source: SLTA Scoop)
SLHTA CEO, in his capacity as Chairman of the St. Lucia National Conservation Fund has been invited to speak on a panel discussion at the ReLAC Assembly being held in Merida, Mexico this week. The panel will be discussing the Role of Boards in Environmental Funds: Strategy and Prioritization. The panel is scheduled for Sunday, October 27 at 11:30 and will take up the challenges an Environmental Fund faces in developing its strategic plan and prioritizing what it will finance in its early years. Other panel members are Yaba Batista and Sean Nazerali, the Director for Innovative Finance of Mozambique's BIOFUND. Yaba Batista will speak to strategy and prioritization at the central level of a regional Environmental Fund while Sean Nazerali will speak to BIOFUND's strategic planning and how they solved the dilemma facing so many EFs that support parks. The panel will be preceded by a short presentation role of Boards in strategic thinking and funding. 

From its establishment in 1999, the Latin American and Caribbean Network of Environmental Funds (RedLAC) has been dedicated to promote the interrelationships of Environmental Funds in the LAC region through capacity building and knowledge management initiatives that contribute to biodiversity conservation and sustainable development.

Member countries include Mesoamerican Reef, Costa Rica, Mexico, Suriname, Belize, Ecuador, Panama, Bolivia, El Salvador, Paraguay, Brazil, Guyana, Peru, Caribbean Region, Honduras, Dominican Republic, Colombia, Jamaica and Saint Lucia.
For more information on the work of RedLAC please visit https://redlac.org/en/

Sea Spray Cruises staff successfully complete training in Taiwan in Advanced Mechanics

Congratulations are pouring in for two team members of Sea Spray Cruises who have successfully completed and graduated from a training program hosted by the Republic of China (Taiwan) in partnership with the Government of Saint Lucia. The Vocational Training Project for Latin America & the Caribbean Countries, commissioned by the International Cooperation and Development Fund (ICDF), took place over two & a half month, and provided extensive training in Diesel & Gas Engines, Automobile Chassis Practice, Automobile Electrical Components Practice, Automobile Body Painting Practice, Automobile Sheet Metal Practice as well as Electricals & A/C Repair.

Additionally, all participants were able to take Chinese Language Classes and visited many historic & cultural sites. 

Team members Shaka Shaun Mohan Florent and Diosleidi Poll Vital both completed the 356 hours program a few weeks ago.

The SLHTA extends our congratulations to Shaka and Dee on their amazing accomplishment. Well done guys! 
SLHTA supports Community Powered Development in Fond Gens Libre

The Fond Gens Libre Development Committee (FGLDC) in conjunction with the SLHTA recently conducted a Tour Guides Skills and Training Assessment of a cadre of community based tour guides for a new visitor experience the community of Fond Gens Libre is introducing this winter. Sitting at the base of Gros Piton, Fond Gens Libre is home to descendants of Saint Lucia’s Freedom Fighters who rejected slavery hundreds of years ago, and even the community’s name which translates to Valley of the Free People, celebrates this freedom.

The community seeks to share its unique culture and history with visitors through a model of Sustainable Community Based Tourism that is developed from within the community. To date this initiative has received tremendous support from the General Manager of the Piton Management Area (PMA) who has oversight for Saint Lucia’s UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Physical Planning, Natural Resources and Co-operatives, through its Forestry Division and the GEF SGP UNDP (Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme United Nations Development Programme... Read More
Big Brother Program says Thank You to Bay Gardens Beach Resort & Spa and the SLHTA
The Big Brother Program of the Grande Riviere Secondary School wishes to thank the Bay Gardens Beach Resort & Spa for providing a wonderful experience for the young boys to enjoy.

On Wednesday 23rd October 2019, 20 boys from the Big Brother Program were treated to a full day experience at the Beach Resort. Several head of departments came in to speak to the students on the role of each department and how they all work together to offer guest the best experience while in Saint Lucia.

The students also enjoyed a wonderful lunch at the Hi Tide Restaurant and a tour of the property including the Main Restaurants, Rooms, Gym, Boutique, Front Office and Spa.

Heartfelt gratitude also to the SLHTA for always supporting and contributing towards the transportation costs for the activity.
Amazing Christmas Raffle Prizes

  1. Jade Mountain - One Night All Inclusive for Two in Pool Sanctuary
  2. Ladera Resort - Two Night Stay for Two inclusive of Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner & Beverages
  3. Calabash Cove Resort & Spa - Weekend for Two including Breakfast & Dinner
  4. Anse Chastanet - Two Nights All Inclusive for Two in a Hillside Deluxe Room
  5. St James' Club Morgan Bay St Lucia - All Inclusive Three Night Stay for Two
  6. Bay Gardens Hotel & Inn - Weekend for Two with Breakfast
  7. SeaSpray Cruises - Sunset Cruise for Two
  8. Jade Mountain - Lunch for Two
  9. Cap Maison - Dinner for Two at Naked Fisherman
  10. Sandals Grande St Lucian Spa & Beach Resort - Dinner for Two
  11. Anse Chastanet - Day Pass for Two with Lunch
  12. Bay Gardens Beach Resort & Spa - Day Pass for Two
  13. Marigot Bay Resort & Marina - Dinner for Two at The Rum Cave
CARIBBEAN’S LARGEST TOURISM MARKETING EVENT ON TRACK FOR THE BAHAMAS

Citing the new tourism offerings in The Bahamas and throughout the Caribbean and the opportunity to showcase the nation of islands to the travel world following Hurricane Dorian, the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) reaffirmed that all systems are go to bring the region’s largest and longest-standing tourism marketing event to The Bahamas January 21 to 23, 2020.

The 38th Caribbean Travel Marketplace (CTM) will bring together hotel and destination representatives as well as other tourism providers; wholesalers and tour operators; online travel agencies; along with media representatives for two intensive days of business meetings, including thousands of prescheduled appointments.