Basseterre, St. Kitts – (October 06, 2010) – St. Kitts today announces that St. Lucia’s Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation, Senator Allen M. Chastanet, will be the featured keynote speaker at the island’s 10th Annual Tourism Awards Banquet, to be held on Saturday, October 23, 2010.
Senator Chastanet’s extensive experience and leadership in the development of tourism in St Lucia and the Caribbean make him a most appropriate choice for keynote speaker. His service to both private and public sectors include his roles as Immediate Past Chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organization and former President of the Saint Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association.
Named Travel Agent Magazine’s “Caribbean Destination Person of the Year” in 2001, Senator Chastanet has earned a strong reputation in all aspects and sectors of tourism in the Caribbean due to his former roles as Director of Tourism at the St. Lucia Tourist Board, Air Jamaica’s Vice President for Marketing and Sales and, until recently, Senator Chastanet was Managing Director of Coco Resorts. In November 2009, during the prestigious 2009 World Travel Awards held in London, England, Senator Chastanet won the honor of being named the “Caribbean Travel Personality of the Year”.
“We look forward to welcoming Senator Chastanet as our guest and keynote speaker at our Tourism Awards Banquet this year,” said Ricky Skerritt, St Kitts’ Minister of Tourism and International Transport. “As we move forward in our efforts to strengthen local awareness of the value of tourism to our national economy, it is most fitting to feature a speaker who shares our government’s firm belief in the importance of fostering cooperation between the public and private sectors.”
The Tourism Awards Banquet is one of the highlights of the Annual St. Kitts’ Tourism Awareness Month, bringing together industry stakeholders to celebrate outstanding achievements of various island products and services. It is part of the St. Kitts Tourism Authority’s efforts to elevate service standards in the island’s hospitality industry and encourage the creation of uniquely Kittitian visitor experiences and distinctive service elements that enhance St. Kitts’ competitive position in the regional and global tourism arena. Tourism Awareness Month is a series of special events and activities held each October with the purpose of increasing public awareness of the importance of tourism to St. Kitts and the various opportunities it affords individuals. Tourism Month has grown in importance over the years as the island has shifted its focus from sugar production to tourism and other service-oriented business as the main economic driver.
The St. Kitts Tourism Authority is charged with the promotion of St. Kitts in all its major regional and international markets. For more information, please contact the St. Kitts Tourism Authority at (869) 465-4040, e-mail info@stkittstourism.kn or visit the website at www.stkittstourism.kn. Follow St. Kitts on Facebook and Twitter.
