More than US$100,000 in prizes provided by over 30 Caribbean hotels and resorts will go towards the Caribbean Hospitality and Tourism Association Education Foundation’s (CHTAEF) efforts to support professional development within the sector.
The prizes were provided during the annual CHTAEF’s Caribbean Travel Auction which was launched on October 23.
“This fundraiser, combined with our new raffles and the support of our strategic partners, helps fund the programmes that make a difference in the lives of the region’s tourism professionals,” said Karolin Troubetzkoy, the Chair of CHTAEF. “Despite a challenging 18 months, our hotels have generously donated to our 2021 travel auction to provide us with an amazing array of experiences from all over the Caribbean.”
The fundraiser enables the CHTAEF to develop and enhance programmes to support professional development at all levels of the career spectrum. Proceeds from the foundation’s fundraisers provide scholarships to the next generation of hospitality professionals.
Past recipients have gone on to study at some of the most prestigious institutions around the globe, including Cornell University, The Culinary Institute of America, Florida International University, Johnson & Wales University, Les Roches, and the University of the West Indies.
Additionally, the foundation continues to develop programmes that support the professional development of current industry personnel. These include on-island training courses, which focus on operational and customer service training to energise and empower staff in real-time. The courses have reached more than 900 staff members in nearly a dozen destinations since 2019.
Last month, CHTAEF partnered with internationally recognised Les Roches to offer a new advancement initiative, the Caribbean Professional Development Program. This programme provides participants with the knowledge, tools, and credentials to advance into general manager positions within two to three years. The first class includes about 25 professionals from more than a dozen destinations across the region.
For more than three decades, the annual CHTA Education Foundation Travel Auction has helped transform the lives and careers of Caribbean hospitality professionals, supported the Caribbean’s most critical industry, and provided beautiful escapes for auction winners.
The 2021 Auction runs up to November 16. Auction winners will receive spectacular Caribbean vacations, ranging from luxury resorts to one-of-a-kind boutique hotels and ecolodges.
Source: Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association Education Foundation
