Karolin Troubetzkoy – Biography
Karolin Troubetzkoy is the Executive Director, Marketing and Operations of Anse Chastanet and Jade Mountain Resorts in Soufriere, Saint Lucia. She has been spearheading the marketing and day to day operations of these award winning resorts since 1984, with Jade Mountain Resort added in 2004, when the pre-opening marketing phase began.
From 1983 – 1984, Mrs Troubetzkoy was a consultant for the Organization of American tates and in that capacity, produced tourism feasibility studies for the tourism marketing of Pigeon Island, the Maria Islands, Sulphur Springs, and also, a marketing brief for the St.Lucia Tourist Board.
Since 2010, Mrs Troubetzkoy has been the President of the Saint Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association (SLHTA). She has been instrumental in the successful implementation of a hotel booking engine for SLHTA as well as the launch of a Saint Lucia Tourism Enhancement Fund (a voluntary contribution system of US 2 per visitor per room night), which enjoys a high compliance rate among the Saint Lucia hotels. Mrs Troubetzkoy personally oversaw the development of a broad social media platform for the SLHTA including profiles on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Linked In, Google Plus and Pinterest as well as the launch of a variety of websites for SLHTA, including www.slhta.com, www.bookstlucianow.com, www.saintluciatef.com, www.destinationsaintlucia.com and www.labellehelene.com.
Mrs Troubetzkoy is a Director of the Saint Lucia Tourist Board and the Chairperson of the Tourist Board Marketing Committee. Mrs. Troubetzkoy has been an active member of the marketing committees of the Saint Lucia Tourist Board for the past 20 years and has been a Saint Lucia Tourist board member from 2007-2009 and again from 2010.
She has been the 1st Vice President of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) from 2014 and has assumed the position of CHTA President in January 2016, for the term 2016-2018. Mrs Troubetzkoy chaired the CHTA Advocacy Committee for the region from 2012-2014. As of Oct 1, 2014, Mrs Troubetzkoy is the Chairperson of CAST (Caribbean Alliance of Sustainable Tourism). She is the co-chair of CTDC (Caribbean Tourism Development).
She is the Honorary Consul of the Federal Republic of Germany in Saint Lucia and is a citizen of Saint Lucia.
In December 2002, the St Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association bestowed on Mrs Troubetzkoy the coveted Crystal Award for services to the hotel industry. She was the recipient of the Saint Lucia Hotelier of the Year Award in 2006. In 2012, Mrs Troubetzkoy received the prestigious Caribbean Hotelier of the Year Award from the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association.
She holds a degree in business administration with majors in both tourism marketing and hotel and restaurant management from the University of Applied Sciences in Munich. She speaks four languages: German, French, English and Italian.
PHILANTHROPIC WORK
Building on her belief (shared and practiced by her husband since the property beginnings) that as much economic benefit as possible is to be kept in the region, Mrs Troubetzkoy, over the past 30 years, built up a network of seamstresses and craftsmen to hand-make all of Anse Chastanet’s furniture, soft furnishings and also table line and bathrobes.
She has worked closely with local craftsmen and artists to develop unique Saint Lucia art and Mrs Troubetzkoy instigated an “Art in the Hotel” program in 1985, long before this became a trend in the hotel industry. Over the past 27 years, local and international artists collaborated in creating the eclectic art collection at Anse Chastanet including local wood carvings and acrylic paintings by famous international artists such as Elvira Bach and Stefan Szczesny.
By inviting international artists to live and work at the resort for up to 4 weeks she was able to foster a dynamic creative exchange between local and international artists. To international artists, the exchange of art against accommodation provided new inspiration by virtue of the scenic tropical environment. Together with her husband Nick, the Troubetzkoys have sponsored local charities and sports events, too numerous to be mentioned.
In 1989, Karolin Troubetzkoy recognized the desire by guests to be able to assist in her local charity work and created a guest charity account. Since then, these funds have enabled her to expand her charitable work further especially in the region of child education and care for.
In the early 90’s, they started an “adopt a farmer“ program, and continue to the extent possible to purchase as much produce locally as possible. In addition, the Troubetzkoys also run an organic farm and make their own chocolate under the label Emerald Estate.
As Honorary Consul of the Federal Republic of Germany, Mrs Troubetzkoy secured fund-
ing for a new school cantina and kitchen for the Bouton School near Soufriere and recently funded and opened a carpentry facility for the Soufriere Comprehensive School. She is currently involved in a project to revive handicrafts in the Soufriere region.
Mrs Troubetzkoy is the Patron of the Saint Lucia Cerebral Palsy Foundation.