Caribbean Hotel Foundation Awards 39 Academic Scholarships

Totaling $144,500

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. October 14, 2008

SAN JUAN, PR, August 16, 2006. The Caribbean Hotel Foundation awarded 39 academic scholarships totaling a record amount of US$144,500 to promising Caribbean students and industry professionals from 16 Caribbean islands. This is a new record for the non-profit subsidiary of the Caribbean Hotel Association, which reaffirms it as the largest scholarship program in the Caribbean hospitality industry and one of the top programs in the industry worldwide.

Applications were received from Caribbean nationals with a wide variety of educational interests and industry backgrounds. Among the group of winners are high school graduates in pursue of Associate and Bsc. Degrees, hotel industry staff interested in professional development opportunities, and Tourism & Hospitality university graduates looking forward to advanced degrees and certifications. "The scholarships granted are a testimony of tomorrow's trends and practices in our industry. From summer schools in Profitability and Food Service Management to Certifications in Eco-tourism, almost all of the applicants' educational interests are somehow related to the sustainable development of the tourism product and the preservation of Caribbean's identity, especially through Cuisine." said Gill Titcombe, coordinator of the CHF.

Proving that the private sector plays a key role in the development of the Caribbean hotel and tourism industry, significant contributions were received from Virgin Holidays, Interval International, The Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA), Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, Carnival Cruise Lines, and the Johnson & Wales University. In addition, the Foundation raised $80,700 through the annual live and silent auctions, held during the Caribbean Hotel Industry Conference (CHIC 2006), and $7,000 generated by the St. Lucia Golf Tournament and generous donations from CHA members. "Thanks to contributions of our industry partners and the hard work of our Coordinator, the Caribbean Hotel Foundation has become the biggest and most versatile scholarship program in the tourism and hospitality industry, with awards to promising students and industry professionals at all levels." said Alec Sanguinetti, Director General and CEO of the Caribbean Hotel Association.

There is no CHA membership requirement to apply for CHF scholarships. Applications for 2007-2008 will be available January 2007. For more information on requirements and application forms, access www.caribbeanhotelfoundation.org or contact Gill Titcombe, CHF Coordinator, Caribbean Hotel Association, T 787-725-9139; F 787-725-9108; e-mail: [email protected].

About the Caribbean Hotel Association - www.caribbeanhotels.org

The Caribbean Hotel Association is dedicated to excellence in hospitality, leadership in marketing, and sustainable growth in tourism, to the benefit of its membership and that of the wider Caribbean community. It aims to be a regional forum that will advance the Caribbean hotel and tourism industry. The members of CHA represent the entire spectrum of hospitality industry's private sector, from 835 member hotels representing some 127,000 hotel rooms in 36 national hotel associations, to 520 allied members including airline executives, tour operators, travel agents, trade and consumer press, hotel and restaurant suppliers, and others.