Author: slhta

The St Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association as part of its mandate to further Human Resource Development in the tourism industry hosted an eight week wine training course for twenty-one beverage professionals from member hotels and restaurants.

The course facilitated by Jasper Kok, Executive Assistant Manager for Food & Beverage at Cap Maison Resort & Spa, provided attendees with an intensive eight week course titled Foundations of Wines of the World. On Wednesday January 27th, the participants received their certificates at a ceremony held in the SLHTA’s Hospitality Training Centre at Rodney Heights, Gros Islet.

This course, the second of three levels, provided an approachable insight into international wines, grapevines, wine Regions, wine cultivation, wine making, wine styles, reading the label, professional serving standards and basics on food and wine pairing.

This course and the many like it to follow will provide industry workers the opportunity to become more skilled in their chosen profession while advancing the quality of service offered to visitors to the island.

The SLHTA and the Tourism Enhancement Fund has committed much funding towards Human Resource Development with the understanding that it is critical to productivity, competitiveness and creating positive and empowering work cultures. Chief Executive Officer, Noorani Azeez, in his comments to participants emphasized that, “We need to maximize the returns of tourism for each one of us by taking advantage of new opportunities that the growing tourism industry provides. However these opportunities can only be realized through the advancement of knowledge.

SLHTA members La Cantina Wines, Peter & Co. Ltd, St Lucia Distillers Ltd., and Bel Voir Estates contributed over 60 wines towards the training program, allowing participants to experience a wide variety of flavors.

The Saint Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association (SLHTA), on Tuesday February 16th 2016, made a monetary contribution to the Cultural Development Foundation (CDF) through the Tourism Enhancement Fund, in support of the organization’s capacity building efforts.

The handing over took place at the SLHTA office on Rodney Bay where Yola St. Jour, Finance and Administration Officer (SLHTA) presented Celeste Burton, Director for Training, Promotion and Development (CDF), with the cheque amounting to twenty-six thousand and fifty dollars ($26,050.00). The grant will fund the 2016 steelpan training, one of CDF’s focus areas for development.

In 2015 the CDF conducted two categories of training in steelpan: Music Theory and Steelpan Tuning. Music Theory Phase II was designed for participants who had previously completed Phase I and Music Theory Phase I welcomed a new cohort of participants in the southern communities.

Steelpan Tuning was open to representatives of all steel-pan orchestras island-wide. These steelpan training programs are decentralized to reach communities around the island and ensure equal opportunities are provided for youth who are out of school, un-employed, and for ‘rural’ communities.

Funding from the SLHTA will ensure that sixty-five (65) participants in July and August, 2016 complete training in the categories highlighted. This year, forty (40) youth will be facilitated at two (2) training sites where the focus will be on Music Theory I and II. It is hoped that twenty – five (25) aspiring pan tuners island-wide will benefit from the Pan Building and Tuning workshops.

Through support from the Tourism Enhancement Fund, is ramping up its response to the Zika virus outbreak on Saint Lucia, with the use of mosquito traps.

Chief Executive Officer of the (SLHTA), Noorani Azeez informed SLHTA members at a meeting on Tuesday 19th April 2016 that the government has granted concessions to the organisation to procure the mosquito traps.

Azeez said this could significantly help members, especially in light of recent research which has shown that fogging is not as effective as it was thought to be.

“We are certainly dealing with an insect that seems to be far more intelligent than we give it credit for, and it has a strong survival instinct and we have to ensure that our measures are ramped up so we do not take anything for granted,” Azeez asserted.

During Tuesday’s meeting it was also agreed that the SLHTA will continue to boost its education and environmental activities as it relates to the Zika virus.

“It’s about taking action. It’s about ensuring that all the things we have learnt, those who are connected to SLTHA Facebook page, and those who follow health and tourism and what’s happening it’s very important that we put it to action,” the SLHTA CEO stated.

The association also examined findings from pilot programmes that they have been funding and initiating over the past few months arose the island.

The Saint Lucia Hotel & Tourism Association through the Tourism Enhancement Fund is proud to be a Gold Sponsor of RISE St Lucia’s Good Food Revolution.

On Thursday 19th May, 2016, Tourism Enhancement Fund Chair, Karolin Troubetzkoy, handed over the first installments of the fund’s financial commitment to the project to RISE Director Dr Stephen King.

Launched in January 2016, the project seeks to reduce the consumption of GMO’s (genetically modified organisms) and increase the use of healthy, organically grown foods by the Saint Lucian populations. The project was born in response to an unprecedented and alarming rise in chronic non-communicable diseases in Saint Lucia.

The creators of the Good Food Revolution believe that this dangerous rise ‘is in great part due to the replacement from Saint Lucian diets of wholesome traditional fruits, root crops and vegetables from the local agricultural biodiversity, to highly processed imported options’.

On the occasion of this partnership, SLHTA Chief Executive Officer, Noorani Azeez, spoke to the SLHTA’s growing commitment to the Agricultural sector. “In the beginning of this year we made a commitment to strengthen sustainable linkages with the Agricultural industry and to continue to work toward Saint Lucia’s sustainable development. We are excited to partner with RISE on this project as they seek to educate farmers and the community at large in processes that would create a healthier nation for generations to come”.

The Good Food Revolution is also in partnership with the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Energy, Science and Technology (MSDEST) and the Ministry of Agriculture, funded in part by UNDP Global Environment Facility (GEF) Small Grants Programme. The first round of training for 40 farmers in organic farming began in early May. The SLHTA is honored to support this important initiative.

Congratulations to the participants who successfully completed the 5 Things Every Entrepreneur Should Know training program hosted by Cocktails & Contacts. The SLHTA’s Tourism Enhancement Fund was a key sponsor for the training which targeted a number of small business owners, many of whom are registered with the Small Enterprise Development Unit.

Topics included; Maintaining your Competitive Advantage presented by Michael Chastanet, How to make Tax Less taxing presented by Charmaine St. Remy, Positioning your Business to be a Great Investment presented by Christopher Roberts, Networking the Key to Success presented by Noorani Azeez, and Innovation the Key to Efficiency presented by Leslie Collymore.

The initiative was organized by Shernell Lionel of Cocktails and Contacts. SLHTA CEO, Noorani Azeez, applauded these efforts in saying, “it is very encouraging to see such brilliant ideas being birthed in Saint Lucia”.

Karolin Troubetzkoy, Immediate Past President of the St Lucia Hotel & Tourism Association and President of the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association, has been elected as Chairperson of the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) effective immediately. She is preceded by now SLHTA President, Mr Sanovnik Destang, and will serve as TEF Chair until January 2018.

Troubetzkoy served as President of the Saint Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association (SLHTA) since 2010 where she has been instrumental in the successful implementation of a hotel booking engine for the association, increased social media presence as well as the launch of a Saint Lucia Tourism Enhancement Fund. In January of this year, she spearheaded the SLHTA initiative of declaring 2016 the Year of the Environment. She also oversaw the development of a broad social media platform for the SLHTA as well as the launch of several websites.

The Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) is a private sector initiative established in 2013, it is designed to   allow the Tourism industry greater opportunity to play an integral role in the sustainable development of our destination and people. The TEF is financed by a small, voluntary donation from member hotel guests’ of $2 USD per night, and goes towards community development and environmental projects and actions.  The TEF has spearheaded many projects over the years, including its Apprenticeship Program, the Community After School Program and the Chefs in Schools Program.

“As part of our vision for 2016, we are committed to the advancement of Human Resource Development in our young tourism workers; through our Apprenticeship Program, our training programs and the provision of professional development courses to current industry workers, our hope is to grow multi-skilled, empowered workers who can help grow the industry sustainably in a highly competitive, globalized environment”.

Troubetzkoy has served as a Director of the Saint Lucia Tourist Board for several years and has been an active member of the Destination Marketing Committee for the past 20 years. Troubetzkoy is the Chairperson of CHTA’s Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism (CAST) and previously served as Chairperson of the CHTA Advocacy Committee from 2012-14. She is also a Board member of the Caribbean Tourism Development Company (CTDC). Troubetzkoy has successfully spearheaded the marketing and day-to-day operations of the award-winning Anse Chastanet and Jade Mountain resorts for more than 30 years. Troubetzkoy is a past recipient of CHTA’s Caribbean Hotelier of the Year Award (2012), St. Lucia Hotelier of the Year Award (2006) and Crystal Award for services to the hotel industry from the St. Lucia 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, Germany.

The Tourism Enhancement Fund, the philanthropic arm of the St Lucia Hotel & Tourism Association donated close to $30,000 this week for programs directed at youth development.

The Tourism Enhancement Fund made a donation of $26,050 to the Cultural Development Foundation in support of their music education program. Over the years, the Cultural Development Foundation (CDF) has engaged a number of Steel Pan orchestras in training programs in Music Theory and Musical Arrangement. This donation with teach 40 young people Music Theory I and II and help train 25 aspiring pan tuners the art of Pan Building and Tuning.

The Fund also made a donation to Cocktails and Contacts, an event birthed by Shernell Lionel in 2014 that provides young professionals the apt environment to network with each other in an effort to seek out opportunities to grow their businesses.  A donation of $5,000 was made to a planned seminar to be hosted by Cocktails & Contacts titled; “Five Things Every Entrepreneur Should Know.” Some key topics will include; how to make tax less taxing, technological innovation, positioning your business for great investment, networking the key success and maintaining competitive advantage. The seminar, commencing in early 2016, will seek to highlight key areas which are essential to the success of every entrepreneur and to facilitate an environment within which various options are available to entrepreneurs to aid them fill any gaps identified.

The Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) is a private sector initiative established in 2013, it is designed to   allow the Tourism industry a greater opportunity to play an integral role in the sustainable development of our destination and people. The TEF is financed by a small, voluntary donation from member hotel guests’ of $2 USD per night, and goes towards community development and environmental projects and actions.  Both of these programs reflect some of the core tenets of the Tourism Enhancement Fund as it continues to support Human Resource Development at all levels of society.

With over $420,000 committed by the Tourism Enhancement Fund to Human Resource Development (HRD), the SLHTA is making significant strides in tackling the unemployment crisis here in St Lucia. It is now commonly accepted that HRD and economic development are inextricably tied together. Research has shown that countries that encourage the growth of critical and multi-skilled individuals in their labor force see an increase in economic prosperity. It is with this in mind that the SLHTA hosted a Human Resource forum for HR professionals in the tourism industry on Friday 11th December, 2015. The forum is a yearly exercise held in order to reacquaint HR staff with local labor laws , to encourage dialogue with other HR professionals and to bring forward questions and concerns that would help the Association better serve them.

Of particular interest this year is the introduction of 350 scholarships for e-based learning through GAMA Learning Institute.

Recent surveys have shown a great disparity between the qualification requirements for available job openings and the current qualifications of job seekers here in St Lucia. A 2012 Labor Market Needs Survey showed that 44% of job openings required tertiary education but only 7% of Job Seekers had tertiary education training. Even more alarming 60% of Job Seekers were said to have qualifications below secondary education.

Researchers have observed that there has been a change in the demand and supply pattern of human resources for the travel industry, with the demand in favor of more educated and specialized personnel. These scholarships will effectively address the needs of ambitious, intelligent industry workers who are will be well primed to become multi-skilled employees who will grow with their organization and meet the demands of a changing tourism industry.

This initiative is indeed well timed as the tourism industry was predicted to encounter commendable growth in 2015. In 2014 Travel & Tourism directly supported 15,500 jobs (20.4% of total employment). This was expected to rise by 5.7% in 2015 and rise by 2.9% pa to 22,000 jobs (24.7% of total employment) in 2025.

In his opening statement to the December 11^th HR Forum, SLHTA Chief Executive Officer, Noorani Azeez noted that “Human Resource Development is globally coming into focus as being critical to productivity, competitiveness and in creating positive and empowering work cultures”.

In 2015, the Association committed over $420,000 in Human Resource Development programs including its successful Tourism Internship Program. These e-learning scholarships will offer students over a 100 choices of courses directed at skills necessary for the hospitality sector and present employees with an opportunity for promotion and for reassignment into a new and exciting career path.

The $29,000 worth of GAMA course scholarships will go to employees of member organizations who have contributed to the Tourism Enhancement fund. Additionally, non-contributing member companies of the SLHTA will receive 100 of the 350 scholarships.

The Association is therefore committed to helping this area climb the priority agenda here in St Lucia and hopes to see a continued refocusing of energies towards Human Resource Development.

Splash Island Water Park’s Ninja Warrior Challenge to be Aired on MBC Television and Real FM 91.3 – Coming November 14, 2015

Splash Island Water Park St. Lucia, the Caribbean’s most exciting water-based attraction recently announced the opening of registration for St. Lucia’s very first Ninja Warrior Challenge. Patterned after the popular game show, American Ninja Warrior, the St. Lucian version will feature a series of fun competitions including water volleyball, relays and time trials and will be held at Splash Island Water Park on Reduit Beach on Saturday November 14 from 10 am.

Many locals and visitors are expected to flock to Reduit Beach on November 14 to catch some of the excitement but those who don’t catch it live will now be able to view it on MBC Television (Flow 52 and 120, LIME 27 and 42) who will be covering the contest from multiple camera angles, including from the sky using overhead drones! MBC Television, the official television station of the popular Blackheart Football tournament has a lot of experience covering and producing high quality sports programming and is excited to be part of this fun and innovative competition.

The announcement of the contest has generated a lot of excitement and interest with several available spots already being taken up by teams from Bay Gardens Resorts, Sandals Resorts, Rex Resorts, St. James Club Morgan Bay Resort and Sharks Swim Club among others.

Registration is just $60 EC ($50 EC for St. Lucia Hotel and Tourism members) per person for teams of 4 or more.

The park’s Managing Director and founder, Mrs. Julianna Ward-Destang expressed her gratitude to the competition’s sponsors which include Monster Energy Drink, Blue Waters, Real FM and MBC Television and to the St. Lucian public for their support of the water park. “So far more than 60% of our park patrons have been St. Lucian Residents and we are thankful for the support and are happy that the park has been able to have such a positive impact”.

As one can imagine, the teams who have signed up so far are also very excited. Perhaps none are more excited than the team from Splash Island Water Park/Bay Gardens Resorts who recently posted an open video challenge on the park’s Facebook page which has already garnered close to 4000 views. “Our Ninja Warriors from Bay Gardens Resorts are ready to take on all comers and are eager for a fun filled day of competition,” stated Ward-Destang.

To find out more and to register visit www.stluciawaterpark.com/contests or call 457-8532.

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About Splash Island Water Park St. Lucia

Located on the the Northwest coast of St. Lucia, on the popular Reduit Beach, Splash Island is the Caribbean’s first open-water sports park. Opened in August 2015, Splash Island is located  in front of the multi-award-winning Bay Gardens Beach Resort & Spa located in Rodney Bay Village, Gros Islet, St. Lucia. The park consists of over a dozen features including the Iceberg XXL, monkey bars, trampoline, a double rocker see-saw and the Action Tower and is designed to promote social interaction, balance, coordination and motor skills development and refinement in a safe, fun and supervised environment with certified lifeguards on duty.

On Wednesday 14th October 2015, the SLHTA presented a cheque for $27,000 to Mr. Ross Stevenson a representative of the Caribbean Hotel And Tourism Association (CHTA) to be transferred to the Dominica Hotel and Tourism Association (DHTA) for disaster relief efforts in Dominica.

Last month Karolin Troubetzkoy, President Elect of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association, rallied support from a number of hotels across the region to pledge room nights which are being auctioned to raise revenue which will do directly towards a disaster relief fund managed by the CHTA and the Dominica Hotel and Tourism Association to aid victims of the storm ravaged island.  The $27,000 cash donation comes from the Saint Lucia Tourism Enhancement Fund and will be added to the revenue raised from the room auctions.

According to St Lucia News Online “Reports of deaths, major landslides and flooding are coming out of Dominica as Tropical Storm Erika blasted the island for several hours.”

“Unofficial reports are that at least four persons are dead and several others are missing.

Images coming out of Dominica show houses being washed away, and motor vehicles and buildings under water.”