Tourism

HAILEE COPS JUNIOR TOURISM MINISTER TITLE

This was expressed by the 16-year-old yesterday as she won the competition in the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc.’s Barbados Tourism Youth Congress 2024, at Hilton Barbados, Needham’s Point, St. Michael. Mikkel Robertson of Alexandra School placed second, while Malika Straker of the Lester Vaughan School came third. The other contestants were Dalinda Maynard of Princess Margaret Secondary School, Jaydn Gill of Harrison College, and Makayla Lowe of The Ellerslie School.
On being declared the winner, the young student could not contain her delight and wept openly. “I can’t believe I have done it; I’ve worked so hard. I put in so much effort. So many people worked with me; so many people were telling me I could do it; so many people supported me. “So many people had my back behind this and all I could think about coming into this [competition] was how I didn’t want to let those people down; how I wanted to give them something to be proud of and how I wanted to carry their support with me all the way. I was always thinking that I can’t aim for first place if I want to do well. I have to aim to go regional and that’s what I was thinking the entire time,” she cried.

The winning student expressed thanks to family, friends, teachers, and well-wishers. She also revealed that behind the scenes everyone pitched in and added: “What my teachers said really did come true. ‘It really did take a village … and I can’t forget to thank God because as I was sitting up there, all I could do is pray in that moment to help me to focus; to help me to be fluent; to help me to present this the way I want to and I was just like the only thing missing in this moment for me is to ask God to stay by my side and to ask God to help me to focus, to help me to be fluent, to help me to present this the way I want to…. You imagine I won by one point.”

As one of her prizes, Hailee will be representing Barbados at the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s (CTO) Regional Youth Congress, where she will vie for the Regional Junior Minister of Tourism title during the CTO’s State of The Industry Conference in Cayman Islands in September.
Hailee, who takes over from last year’s winner, Jordan Grieg of Harrison College, was encouraged by him, through his review of his 2023 tenure, “to take opportunities and put yourself out there”. She was also told that it was a once in a life-time opportunity “to make many other youth voices heard” and get others involved in the sector.

Meanwhile, BTMI’s Chief Executive Officer, Andrea Franklin, calling the occasion an “exciting final” said she hoped many of the students would remain in the tourism industry, as over the years, they had seen “the instance of people moving away from working in the sector, and we need to get young minds back in tourism”. Urging them to continue their education in the field, Ms. Franklin noted the Tourism Youth Congress provides the essential gateway for the industry to better engage Barbadian youth on critical tourism matters and to stimulate greater awareness and meaningful discourse regarding the industry.

While emphasising that the competition provides first-hand experience of Barbados’ unique product, she said it enticed many visitors to make it their “perennial destination of choice”.
The Congress, she added, plays an integral part in shaping the island’s future tourism leaders, leading to today’s youth being tomorrow’s decision makers, who would directly influence the sector’s sustainable expansion. Ms. Franklin stressed: “Tourism continues to be the mainstay of our country’s economic growth and therefore safeguarding the future of the industry is of paramount importance.”

CAPTION: The 2024 Junior Minister of Tourism, Hailee Harding (second from left) of the Graydon Sealy Secondary School, poses for a photograph with (from left to right) – the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc.’s (BTMI) Chief Product Development Officer, Marsha Alleyne; teachers Jamie Carrington (centre) and Cheryl Williams (seated); BTMI Board member, Shireen Mathurin-Tulloch; and BTMI Chief Executive Officer, Andrea Franklin. (GP) Hailee Harding of Graydon Sealy Secondary School is the new Junior Minister of Tourism, thanks to hard work and the support of many.

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)