Tourism

FOUR NEW BHTA TOURISM AWARDS UP FOR GRABS THIS YEAR

Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA) has added four new awards to the list of prestigious awards up for grabs this year at the Association’s 2024 Tourism Awards Gala Dinner on Saturday, June 8 at the Wyndham Grand Barbados, Sam Lord’s Castle Resort & Spa.

Chairman of the Association, Renée Coppin, stated that the new award categories are the BHTA Transportation Provider of the Year, Special Award (in any endeavour), Bartender/Mixologist of the Year and Chef of the Year.

She explained that the new awards were added to highlight key contributors to the excellence of our tourism product and experience, “Tourism service is diverse and multifaceted, but we certainly feel that these awards shine a needed spotlight and the special award allows us the opportunity to reward someone who may not fit neatly into the established categories.

“The Transportation Provider of the Year award will go to a company, co-operative or taxi/rental company which has provided exemplary service to the industry in all sectors – cruise, tours, etc.; while the Special Award will be presented to an individual, company or corporation operating within Barbados that demonstrated exceptional service, outstanding acts, professionalism, and dedication towards the nation’s response in any particular endeavour.”

Coppin added that the BHTA Bartender/Mixologist of the Year Award will be presented to a bartender who is employed either in an independent bar or within a hotel, possesses excellent mixology skills and is well-versed in making cocktails and mixing alcoholic drinks with a wide range of spirits, among other skills.

“Likewise, the Chef of the Year Award will go to a chef who sets high culinary standards and has served as a positive role model for other food professionals on his team and otherwise. He/she should be a chef for a minimum of three years and should demonstrate flair, creativity and culinary skills in creating recipes for both local and other cuisines,” she explained.

The biennial awards ceremony, held at the end of the two-year tenure of each BHTA Chairman to celebrate the outstanding contribution of BHTA members to the tourism industry, is sponsored by Gallagher Insurance Barbados Brokers Limited and will also feature Hotel of the Year – Luxury, A Class, B-Class & Apartments and Vacation Rental Property Management Company of the Year award categories.

Other awards include the Business Excellence of the Year Award in the categories Restaurant Member, Tourism Attraction, Supporting Member, Tourism Industry Supplier and Tourism Industry Partner; BHTA Environmental and Sustainability Award; Social Responsibility Award, Employee of the Year Award and the Life Time Achievement Award.

Coppin noted that nominations for the awards open from today, Thursday, May 2 to Thursday, May 16 to any person, accommodation property, restaurant, activity or attraction, industry supplier, service provider or supporter of the industry. She said, “The nomination should be for outstanding performance and contribution to the growth, development and sustainability of the tourism industry. The only criterion is that the nominee must be member of the BHTA.”

The 2022 BHTA awardees were Sandy Lane Hotel, Little Arches Boutique Hotel, Eco Lifestyle & Lodge, Blue Sky Luxury, Chefette Restaurants Ltd., Atlantis Submarines Barbados, Gallagher, Flow Barbados / C&W Business, Enterprise Growth Fund Ltd., The Crane, Hanif Walcott, Jackie White and Sunil Chatrani. (PR)

Tourism

BARBADIAN REUBEN LEROY BROWNE NAMED GENERAL MANAGER AT WYNDHAM GRAND BARBADOS SAM LORDS CASTLE

Wyndham Grand Barbados Sam Lords Castle has appointed Barbadian Reuben Leroy Browne as General Manager of the all-inclusive luxury resort in St. Philip.

With over 30 years of experience in the tourism industry with major international brands across the Caribbean, Browne will be responsible for the hotel’s operations including enhancing guest experiences and revenue growth, while focusing on strategic planning, resource management and prioritizing environmental and social responsibility activities, among other tasks.

The new General Manager, who took up the post last month (October), said, “Over the past few weeks, I have had the privilege of getting to know our amazing team and exploring everything our beautiful resort has to offer. Our team is truly dedicated, and together we are committed to enhancing the guest experience as we approach the winter season.

“I’m proud to share that all of our resort’s food and beverage outlets are all operational, including the Mediterranean Restaurant for all-day dining, Sam Lords Grill, and our signature fine-dining venue, Castle View. Our Lucy’s Lounge, named in honor of Sam Lords’ wife, adds a unique touch to the resort, and we also have six well-appointed bars throughout the property to cater to our guests’ needs.”

He added that the spa, 24 hour gym and Kid’s Club are also functioning at full steam for both locals and visitors to utlise and said, “Our next steps will be to fill key vacancies starting with the Director of Sales and Marketing. We are also continuing our promotion of the property in key source markets at events such as World Travel Market in London, which our Revenue Manager attended earlier this month.”

Browne, who has a strong educational background from Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration and several management development programmes, most recently served as General Manager of an all-inclusive 294 suite property in Antigua.

Since starting his career in the industry in 1984, he has developed a successful track record in various leadership roles including Food and Beverage Manager, Operations Manager, Residence Manager, Director of Operations and Chief Commercial Officer at renowned hotels and resorts in Barbados and the region.

An active member in various professional associations including the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA) and past member of the Downtown Nassau Partnership, he also dedicates his time to charitable endeavors including the Optimist Club. (PR)

Caption: Barbadian Reuben Leroy Browne has been appointed General Manager of the all-inclusive Wyndham Grand Barbados Sam Lords Castle.

Tourism

BHTA BARBADOS NATIONAL CULINARY TEAM OFF TO TASTE OF THE CARIBBEAN 2024

Members of the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association’s (BHTA) Barbados National Culinary Team left the island last Saturday to compete in the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association’s (CHTA) Taste of the Caribbean, which takes place in Miami from November 18 to 20.

They are Chef Rynaldo Joseph, Junior Chef Dejuan Toppin, Pastry Chef Rickeena Kirton and Mixologist Alex Chandler, along with Team Manager Adrian Cumberbatch, Assistant Team Manager Javon Cummins and Coaches Damian Leach and Rohan Hackshaw.

Cumberbatch noted that the team is ready to put their best plates and beverages forward: “There has been a lot of preparation over the past few weeks to get everyone ready for the competition. Our focus was on strengthening a number of areas ranging from time management to concepts and flavor profiles. After weeks of hard work and dedication I can confidently say that the team members are all ready to showcase their talent and skills and to make Barbados proud.”

BHTA’s Special Projects Manager, Tessalee Moore, who is among a BHTA contingent, including Chairman Javon Griffith and CEO Ryan Forde, attending Taste to support the team, explained that the Association was more than happy to be facilitating the process to get team Barbados to the prestigious event.

Caption: Members of the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association’s (BHTA) Barbados National Culinary Team at the GAIA yesterday with BHTA CEO Ryan Forde (left) and Special Projects Manager Tessalee Moore (second from left) on the way to the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association’s (CHTA) Taste of the Caribbean in Miami.

“We are extremely happy that Taste is back and that Barbados can attend and defend our title as Caribbean Team of the Year. But beyond that, for the BHTA, Taste is more than a competition. It is also a major training and developmental tool for our chefs and mixologists as it provides educational opportunities by way of seminars, workshops and demonstrations on the trends and emerging concepts in Food and Beverage.

“While we would love Team Barbados to bring home gold and the bragging rights as Team of the Year again, we equally want the members to gain from this experience in a way that will propel their careers and for them to willingly share their knowledge with their peers when they return. This is their opportunity to showcase their skills on an international platform and we want them to take full advantage of that opportunity.” (PR)

Tourism

EXPLORA 11 DOCKS FOR THE FIRST TIME

The Explora II docked at the Port of Bridgetown for the first time yesterday, bringing 427 passengers to the island’s shore.

During a plaque exchange ceremony on board the vessel, Minister of Tourism and International Transport, Ian Gooding- Edghill, thanked Captain Serena Melani for guiding what he described as a “magnificent” ship into the Port of Bridgetown.

“We certainly want to thank you and your team on board, and certainly the executives at MSC, for taking the opportunity to continue to have the confidence in Barbados as a home port,” he said.

Captain of the vessel, Serena Melani, who was the first woman in cruise industry history to captain a new ocean cruise ship launch in February 2020, said it was “nice to be back”, and that she was happy to bring another vessel to the Barbados. She previously brought the Explora I to the island during the 2023-2024 winter season.

*Minister of Tourism Ian Gooding Edghill & Captain Serena Melani*

The Explora Journeys’ Explora II transatlantic cruise itinerary, which began in Barcelona, Spain, will make six homeporting visits to Barbados during the 2024-2025 winter season.

The next port of call for the cruise vessel is Fort-de-France, Martinique.

In addition to the Explora II, the Port of Bridgetown also welcomed the MSC Magnifica for the first time. Britannia P&O and Royal Caribbean’s Rhapsody of the Seas also docked yesterday, bringing a total of 8,000 visitors to the island. (PR/GIS)