Twenty people working in the tourism industry were recognised during a night of glitz and glamour at the second annual Grenada Hotel and Tourism Association (GHTA) Gala Awards Dinner and Dance.
Complete with new categories including Rookie of the Year, The Lawrence Lambert Award (Large Hotel Employee of the Year) and The Ian Dabreo Award (Small Hotel Employee of the Year), the night recognised the contributions of people in different areas of the tourism industry. The event which was held at Radisson Grenada on Saturday, 4 May was attended by Minister for Tourism and Civil aviation Hon. Clarice Modeste-Curwen, President of the GHTA Jerry Rappaport with the GHTA Board of Directors, Dr Angus Friday, CEO of the Grenada Tourism Authority (GTA) Patricia Maher and members of the GHTA.
Rappaport congratulated the winners and focused on the important role workers in the industry play. He said, “It’s not often that we have an opportunity as an industry to get together and celebrate our success and most importantly acknowledge our employees who are key to the success and continued growth of tourism here in Grenada. We know from visitors’ comments on Trip Advisor etc. how special our people are and how big a part they are of a tourist’s experience in Grenada. It’s very important that once a year we take a moment to pay tribute to all of them and especially those that have excelled at their jobs.”
The theme of the night was ‘Building a Better Future with a Career in Tourism’. Speaking on this topic, GTA CEO Maher said, “Last year, we achieved a historic milestone, welcoming over 500,000 visitors to the destination. But so much more can be achieved. Tourism can no longer be seen as just a career but ‘THE” career. This industry must attract the best and brightest, if we are to increase the benefits coming from it.”
Delivering the feature address of the night was Caribbean Tourism Organisation Director of Marketing for the UK & Europe, Carol Hay. During her presentation, she chronicled her journey into discovering her roots in Jamaica then taking a chance at working within the tourism industry there, which she has never regretted. She remarked, “We need to ensure that we run Tourism as a business. We need to save something to continue investing in our infrastructure, people and their development. We need to ensure that the people who work in tourism are equipped.”
Addressing the gathering, Tourism Minister Modeste-Curwen congratulated the winners of the night and said, “The people of Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique are what sets the destination apart from our Caribbean neighbours. Thank you for continuing to make your contributions and putting Pure Grenada, the Spice of the Caribbean on the map.”
The superb entertainment for the evening was provided by Formation Dance Group, Zoei Olliviere, Matthias Williams, Sheereen Brizan and Solid the Band. At the end of the night, the True Blue Bay Resort and Calabash Luxury Boutique Hotel were the big winners with the properties walking away with 6 awards apiece.
Winners of GHTA Tourism Industry Awards 2019
- Long Service & Loyalty: David Rodd, Lance aux Epines Cottages
- Lawrence Lambert Award (Large Hotel Employee of the Year): Elsa Burris, Calabash Boutique Hotel
- Ian Da Breo Award (Small Hotel Employee of the Year): Maria Honore, Sea Breeze Hotel
- Best Allied Employee: Andre Greenidge, Treo
- Most Mentioned by Guests: George Cadore, Calabash Boutique Hotel
- Rookie of the Year: Tamika Fletcher, Calabash Boutique Hotel
- Best Spa Therapist: Naficia Evans, Calabash Boutique Hotel
- Best Water Sports Employee: Floyd Rian, Aquanauts
- Best Gardener: Terrance Dominique, Calabash Boutique Hotel
- Best Maintenance: Andell Daniel, True Blue Bay Resort
- Best Housekeeper: Monica Pascall, Calabash Boutique Resort
- Best Bartender: Mickeyel Gordon, True Blue Bay Resort
- Best Tour Guide: Terrance Louison, St James Travel & Tours
- Best Wait Staff: Leah Phillip, True Blue Bay Resort
- Best Back of House Employee: Rhonda Thomas, True Blue Bay Resort
- Best Front of House Employee: Simone Thomas, True Blue Bay Resort
- Best Overnight Shift Employee: Justine Lewis, Sea Breeze Hotel
- Best Cook/Chef: Albert Paul, La Luna
- Best Supervisor: Roll James, True Blue Bay Resort
- Environmental Excellence: Clifford George, Mount Cinnamon
Grenada Hotel and Tourism Association
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Thrilled to see the new Lawrence Lambert Award! Such a wonderful award, named for a wonderful man.
Congratulations, Elsa!!