The USVI Culinary Team is back and seeking sponsorship! For 13 years, the USVI Hotel & Tourism Association has sponsored the USVI Culinary Team, a group of professionally trained chefs who represent our islands at the annual Taste of the Caribbean competition www.chtataste.com. The team, comprised of three chefs, a pastry artist, bartender, alternates, students and team captain, match their epicurean skills against over 15 teams from the Caribbean region in a quest for culinary superiority. In the 2017 competition, the team brought home silver and this year we are going for GOLD! In addition to winning silver overall, team members were awarded several medals throughout the competition, including Chef of the Year, Pastry Chef of the Year, Bartender of the Year, and Seafood and Beef Competition medals. This year’s competition will be held in Miami, Florida June 26-30. Read the full sponsorship letter. Read about levels of sponsorship.

And check back for information on how to apply to be on the team as well as the Bartender Competition to be held on Feb. 28.

No cases of the coronavirus have been reported in the Caribbean, assured regional tourism and health officials, who are hard at work aiming to keep the region coronavirus-free. A partnership established five years ago between the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and the private sector-led Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) as well as the public sector Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) is helping to drive a concerted effort by the region's health and tourism stakeholders to help prevent and mitigate any impact from the spread of the virus, which has been declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a global public health emergency of international concern. Read more .

Click here to view the February 2020 update from Coral World Ocean Park.

This week, FEMA released the PrepTalk “Left in the Dark: Power Outages in an Interconnected World.” The PrepTalk features Kate Konschnik who dives into the fundamentals of how electricity is generated in the United States. Konschnik explains how our aging electrical infrastructure increases the chances of catastrophic failures and she offers considerations for emergency managers to prepare their communities for extended power outages. The PrepTalk video, an accompanying American Sign Language video, and additional resources are available on the  FEMA website . Read more from FEMA .

The Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority held a press conference on Feb. 4 to announce the removal of more than 6,000 gallons of used cooking oil and motor oil illegally disposed of at the Concordia residential bin site. Authority officials reminded businesses of the Virgin Islands Code and Regulations requiring a permitted and licensed contract hauler to dispose of waste oil. Violators are subject to a fine of not less than $1,000 and/or 180 days imprisonment. Illegal dumping of used cooking oil and motor oil in the territory is also occurring in the St. Thomas/St. John district as well as on Water Island. This practice is causing environmental damage including clogged and blocked lines which can cause sewer spills from manholes onto roads into the environment. Repairs to sewer lines blocked by grease cost the VIWMA in excess of half a million dollars a year in line televising, cleaning and repairs. Additional information will be issued to territorial businesses establishments regarding this subject; however, businesses are asked to immediately cease illegal dumping at bin sites and ensure business waste is being handled in compliance with established VI Code and Regulations. For more information, contact the Office of Communications Management at 340-513-4171 or email [email protected] .

It’s about your heart. With all I’ve written about  touchpoints ,  anticipating needs  and steps of service, none of them can compare with your heart. Your heart is what connects with people. Your heart is what allows you to listen empathetically. Your heart is what causes you to give a genuine smile to a complete stranger who you find yourself now serving. Yes, the heart is what pushes you to love. Love IS service, and service IS love. To create consistent, world-class service on your team, there must be a regular discussion about the heart and its role in driving service excellence. Read more.