Author: slhta

SLHTA’s Tourism Enhancement Fund disburses $93K in Food Vouchers 

Press/Articles

(CASTRIES, Saint Lucia – Friday 21st December 2023)– The Saint Lucia Hospitality and Tourism Association’s (SLHTA) Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) kicked off its Annual Christmas Food Drive on Wednesday, December 20, 2023. For nearly a decade the TEF has embarked on this initiative to spread seasonal cheers and goodwill to families in need.

This year $93,000 in food vouchers will be provided to the less fortunate. The vouchers will be disbursed island-wide through partnerships with a number of community groups, including: the Lions Club of Gros Islet, Rotary Club of Saint Lucia, Dunnattar School, Alexander Family Foundation, Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (Gros Islet, Babonneau, Richfond, Dennery, Soufriere and Vieux Fort stations), Saint Lucia Dove Club, Millet Development Committee, Community Outreach Grooming Service Project, religious organisations and Musicians/Entertainers.

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Ten more students receive Eileen Paul Scholarships from SLHTA’s Tourism Enhancement Fund

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(CASTRIES, Saint Lucia- August 21st 2023)- Ten more secondary school newcomers have received Eileen Paul Scholarships from the Saint Lucia Hospitality and Tourism Association’s (SLHTA) Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF).

The Eileen Paul Scholarship Fund was launched on October 11th 2021 to provide financial support to secondary school students, whose parents work in the hospitality and tourism industry. The scholarship is named in honor of Eileen Paul, who was the heart and soul of the SLHTA, having served the organisation for over forty years.

Scholarship holders receive a grant of EC$2000.00 annually for 5 years, once they maintain a grade point average of 70%. This year’s scholarship award ceremony, held on Thursday, August 17th 2023 at the Bay Gardens Hotel, Gros Islet, brought together government officials, parents and ebullient students.

TEF Chairman Winston Anderson underscored that education is a cornerstone of the TEF’s values. By nurturing intellectual curiosity, fostering innovation and providing access to quality education, the TEF is not only enhancing lives but also sowing seeds for a brighter Saint Lucia.

He said, “Year after year we proudly extend our support to ten hardworking students who embody the spirit of dedication and perseverance. This marks our ongoing commitment to education and the continued development of our youth. It also provides an opportunity to support our hospitality sector’s dedicated team members who stand on the frontline.

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Juniors Under Mentorship Programme (JUMP), the SLHTA’s TEF and FLOW Team up to Empower Students at Bishop Charles Gachet Primary School through Summer Virtual Reality Academic Programme

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(CASTRIES, Saint Lucia – Monday 14th August 2023)- Juniors Under Mentorship Programme (JUMP), the St Lucia Hospitality and Tourism Association (SLHTA) and Flow have joined forces to embark on a programme to help at-risk youth succeed in academics. The programme called “What’s in your Backpack?”, will engage thirty participants in a two-week training on scientifically-proven strategies on how to learn and succeed in academics through the use of Virtual Reality (VR) technology. The programme will run from August 14th -24th and will be held at the Learning hub on the John Compton Highway.

The Covid-19 pandemic saw learning losses in numerous educational institutions globally, amid an already plummeting literacy rate within the Caribbean and Latin American region. The programme aims to address the issue of learning loss and build a foundation at the Bishop Charles Gachet RC Primary School to allow students more autonomy in the learning process.

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SLHTA and SLUNCF form partnership to enhance marine health in Saint Lucia

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(CASTRIES, Saint Lucia – Thursday 8th June 2023) – Creation of a Marine Health Alliance under the umbrella of the Saint Lucia National Conservation Fund will create ties with the tourism industry to support marine conservation, protect threatened biodiversity and promote healthy ocean ecosystems and reefs.

Building upon Earth Day 2023 and its theme “Invest In Our Planet” the Saint Lucia Hospitality and Tourism Association (SLHTA) and the Saint Lucia National Conservation Fund (SLUNCF) have announced their new partnership agreement focused on investment in the island’s marine health.

Described as the ‘catalyst for change’ in Saint Lucia for ocean stewardship, the Marine Health Alliance will focus on a combination of top-down interventions and bottom-up project delivery. The launch of the Marine Health Alliance initiative was made possible with the support of the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), the SLHTA’s philanthropic arm. Calls for proposals (CFPs) will be issued bi-annually to assist local communities, youth groups and public and private sector initiatives to bolster national marine conservation.

The SLHTA, TEF and SLUNCF will work closely together to engage with local stakeholders and visitors to learn about the Marine Health Alliance with the option of showing their support with a one-time voluntary contribution, annual membership or corporate sponsorship.

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SLHTA’s Tourism Enhancement Fund disburses over $250k!

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(CASTRIES, Saint Lucia – Tuesday, December 20th, 2022) – The spirit of giving permeated the air at the Saint Lucia Hospitality and Tourism Association (SLHTA) on Monday, December 19, 2022 as the Association, through the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) disbursed grants and donations totalling over EC $250,000 to various organisations. The initiatives, aimed at creating opportunities for the youth and lending a helping hand to the less fortunate, were unveiled during a press conference at the Alfiona Plaza, Rodney Heights, Gros Islet.

An EC $132,000 grant to Landmark Events will provide Saint Lucians with training and development opportunities in the Orange Economy. The company operates Warehouse 11 , a 4,900 square foot facility in Vide Boutielle, Castries which seeks to serve as a ‘community space for creative interaction between artists and audiences, performers and producers, and masters and emerging talent, to simultaneously improve access, affordability and opportunity for skills transfer and development.’ The TEF is committed to providing opportunities in non-traditional areas to harness the talents of our people, increase self worth and identity and generate employment.

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SLHTA’s Tourism Enhancement Fund donates $30,000 to St. Lucia Golf Association

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(CASTRIES, Saint Lucia – Thursday, September 22nd, 2022) – Getting more Saint Lucian youth involved in the sport of golf is at the heart of a collaboration between the SLHTA’s Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) and the St. Lucia Golf Association (SLGA).

On September 21, 2022 the TEF donated EC $30,000 to the SLGA towards the hosting of the Eastern Caribbean Golf Amateur Championships 2022. Approximately ninety players from ten countries will compete in the three-day sporting event, which is set to tee off on October 7, 2022 at the Sandals Golf and Country Club. Fourteen Saint Lucian golfers, inclusive of two juniors from the Grow Well Golf Programme, are slated to participate.

Secretary of the SLGA, Mr. Habib Chreiki, is eager to hit the ground running. “On behalf of SLGA, I would like to thank the Tourism Enhancement Fund for their kind support of the Eastern Caribbean Amateur Championships 2022— a tournament that will reignite golf tourism in Saint Lucia, and give exposure to our most talented competitors,” said Chreiki.  

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SLHTA’s Tourism Enhancement launches Inaugural After School Programme in Soufriere!

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(CASTRIES, Saint Lucia – Tuesday, September 20th, 2022) – The Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), the philanthropic arm of the Saint Lucia Hospitality & Tourism Association (SLHTA), on Monday, September 19, 2022 launched its inaugural After School Programme at the Soufriere Primary School. In attendance were parents, students, school officials and representatives from the SLHTA and TEF.

The After School Programme is aimed at helping students from the Soufriere Infant and Primary schools attain grade-level reading proficiency, enhance reading comprehension and ultimately improve performance at national examinations. The programme will provide over sixty (60) students with instruction in Reading Therapy, Emotional Learning, Agricultural Science, Physical Education, Music (Steel Pan) and Arts & Crafts.

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SLHTA’s Tourism Enhancement Fund relaunches On-The-Job Training Programme!

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(CASTRIES, Saint Lucia – Thursday, September 8th, 2022) – Twenty-six young individuals have begun training to access job opportunities in the tourism industry, through the Saint Lucia Hospitality & Tourism Association’s (SLHTA) Apprenticeship Programme. Funded by the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), the Apprenticeship Programme was originally introduced in December 2014 to target unemployed youth between the ages of 18 to 35.

The programme was relaunched on Wednesday, September 7th, 2022 during an orientation exercise at the Alfiona Plaza in Rodney Heights, Gros Islet. Participants will receive Customer Service & Personal Development training, as well as on the job training at hotels and restaurants around the island. Personnel from the Human Development Network and HTEC Management Solutions were on hand to carry out an initial training session with the apprentices. Also in attendance were representatives from the SLHTA, TEF, and the Department of Social Transformation.  

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Eleven Secondary School newcomers receive Eileen Paul Scholarships from Tourism Enhancement Fund!

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(CASTRIES, Saint Lucia – Wednesday, August 31st, 2022) – The Saint Lucia Hospitality & Tourism Association’s (SLHTA) Tourism Enhancement Fund on August 25th, 2022, disbursed eleven more grants to incoming Form One students through the Eileen Paul Secondary School Scholarship Fund.  The Fund was established in 2021 to provide financial support to secondary school students, whose parents work in the hospitality industry.  The bursary will go towards school supplies, uniforms, books and transportation to attend school.  

At a cheque handover ceremony during the SLHTA’s annual general meeting, the successful applicants received EC$2000.00 for the upcoming academic year in September. Once a student maintains a grade point average of at least 70%, they will receive EC$2000.00 at the start of each academic year of their secondary school journey.

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SLHTA Tourism Enhancement Fund Eileen Paul Scholarship

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(Monday, October 11th 2021)- The SLHTA’s Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) is pleased to announce the launch of the Eileen Paul Scholarship Fund on Monday 11 th October 2021. Named after their longest serving employee, the Eileen Paul Scholarship Fund will seek to bestow a grant to ten (10) Form 1 secondary school students of hospitality workers, for a five-year period. This will essentially cover their tuition for five years while at secondary school, once they continue to meet the criteria outlined under the program.

CEO Noorani Azeez, reflecting on the work of the tourism legend explains, “Eileen was a dependable, trusted and loved advisor to every Executive at the Secretariat during her tenure. She was the “heart and soul” of the SLHTA. She joined the Association in 1973 and was the lone employee for fourteen (14) years. For over forty (40) years she provided administrative oversight of the Secretariat representing the fledgling organization at various overseas promotions, training programmes and leadership conferences. We could not have found a more worthy name under which to title this scholarship fund.”

Daughter of Eileen Paul, Ms. Virginia Paul lauds the timely scholarship effort, commenting that “The launching of SLHTA’s Eileen Paul scholarship is a fitting tribute to the legacy of Eileen Paul who was committed to the personal development and growth of Saint Lucian nationals working in the tourism and hospitality sector. She dedicated many hours whilst at the SLHTA to managing the Association’s scholarship programme to ensure that the children of workers in the industry would get the opportunity to receive a secondary education. I would like to thank the SHTA for honouring my mother’s memory through the establishment of the Eileen Paul Scholarship Programme and wish the management and staff every success.”

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