November 2006—January 2007 CTO CHAPTER NEWS Volume 6 Issue 4 ST. LUCIA Inside this issue: U.S. VACATIONERS WITH MINISTER OF St. Lucia Minister of 1 TOURISM ELECTED Tourism New Chair of CTO NEW PASSPORTS INVITED TO TO CHAIR THE CTO CTC-29 Review 2 New Executive STAMP FIRST IN THE Committee also elected Our Chapters In Action... 3 CARIBBEAN St. Lucia has been elected as Chair of the Special Offers for New 3 With the January 23, 2007 date for grades, extra nights and gift shop Caribbean Tourism Or- U.S. Passport Holders implementation of the Western Hemi- purchases. ganization (CTO). The sphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) fast Hon. Philip J. Pierre, New Caribbean Airline 3 approaching, Caribbean destinations Replaces Bwee • The government of Jamaica has Minister of Tourism for and private sector interests have launched a new program en- St. Lucia, was elected Destination Roundup 4 upped the ante. couraging U.S. citizens to get at the 46th meeting of Not only are they getting the passports by rewarding vaca- the CTO Board of Direc- Caribbean Presence 4 word out that travelers to the region tioners who make Jamaica the tors during CTC-29 in Dominant at Toronto Show need to get a passport to re-enter the first visit with their new pass- Grand Bahama Island. United States, they are also offering port. Rewards include special In accepting the vacationers special incentives if the THIS ISSUE credits while on the island chairmanship from out- first stamp in their passports is ob- amounting to the basic cost of SPONSORED BY THE going Chairman, the tained at a Caribbean port of entry. obtaining a passport. Hon. Pamela Richards, ARUBA HOTEL The WHTI is a U.S. government • Meanwhile, the Jamaica Tourist Commissioner of Tour- AND TOURISM mandate requiring all travelers from Board (JTB), from Nov. 15, 2006 ism for the U.S. Virgin ASSOCIATION (AHATA) the Western Hemisphere entering or until mid-winter 2007, will hold Islands, Minister Pierre re-entering the United States by air “Jamaican Morning Coffee said: “Her example will DID YOU KNOW . as of January 23, 2007, to be in pos- Breaks” at major commuter ter- be hard to follow, but Guadeloupe offers a vast session of a valid passport or other minals in New York, Chicago with the help of the accepted document. US territories, choice of restaurants and and Washington, DC where con- Board of Directors I will including CTO members—US Virgin do my best to carry on cafés – over 700 – including sumers can apply for their U.S. Islands and Puerto Rico—are exempt passports onsite. Free Jamaican the traditions and in- Vietnamese and Lebanese? from this requirement. coffee will be served. For more sure that CTO works Caribbean marketers have cre- information visit www. diligently for the im- For tidbits on ALL CTO ated offers aimed at U.S. travelers visitjamaica.com or call 1-800- provement of the qual- member destinations visit: who might reconsider a Caribbean 233-4JTB (1-800-233-4582). ity of life for the citizens www.DoItCaribbean.com. vacation during the winter, because of this region.” of the new travel requirements. In- Four other govern- centives may include full reimburse- ment officials were To join the CTO Caribbean Please turn to page 3 for more Spe- ment of basic passport fees, compli- elected to serve on the Community Online go to: cial Offers for new U.S. passport mentary spa packages, golf green holders. Executive Committee— www.OneCaribbean.org. fees, attraction tours, room up- (Continued on page 2) CTO CHAPTER NEWS STARTING JANUARY 23, 2007 Page 2 All travelers arriving in the U.S. by AIR from non-U.S. territories in the Caribbean must present a passport. CTC-29 REVIEW Advertisement The 29th Annual Caribbean Tourism Conference (CTC-29) success- fully concluded on October 25, 2006 in Grand Bahama Island. Aruba Certified Expert 750 delegates attended the annual conference which was hailed by many as the best CTC ever. Training available Please view the complete gallery of images of CTC-29 at: http://www.onecaribbean.org/information/categorybrowse.php? to all CTO Chapters categoryid=920. Travel + Leisure Youth Congress winners—(left In 2007, the Aruba Tourism Authority is to right) Andrena Athill, Antigua and Barbuda (3rd place); Blake Sonnenfeld, Bermuda committed to doing its part to make sure (winner); Nashara Webster of Anguilla (2nd that CTO chapter members are offered an place). opportunity to increase their Caribbean des- tination expertise. Winner of the Conde Nast Traveler “My Carib- Aruba’s Regional and District Sales Manag- bean” Essay contest—Joseph Archibald- Bowers, British Virgin Islands (with BVI tour- ers are anxious to work with CTO chapters ism officials, and Conde Nast Traveler and CTO to provide Aruba Certified Expert (ACE) staff). Training via live group training sessions or by enrolling individual CTO members in the Renee Di Giulio, winner of Travel Agent Special ACE home study program. Award of Recognition; with CTO Secretary General, Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace (left) and Beginning in January of 2007 the ACE pro- Fernando Abreu, CTO Deputy Director of Mar- keting. gram will feature exciting new benefits and rewards for agents who regularly report their Aruba production. So for any CTO member who is not already an ACE agent – CTO Board Elects New Chairman and Executive Committee now is the time to become one! (Continued from page 1) Third Vice Chairman, St. Kitts and First Vice Chairman, Antigua and Nevis Minister of State for Tour- Barbuda Minister of Tourism & ism, Sports, and Culture, the Hon. Civil Aviation, the Hon. Harold Richard Skerritt; and Fourth Vice Lovell; Second Vice Chairman, Chairman, Grenada Minister of To inquire about ACE training for Jamaica Minister of Tourism, the Tourism, Civil Aviation & Perform- your chapter, contact the Aruba Hon. Aloun N'Dombet Assamba; ing Arts, the Hon. Brenda Hood. Tourism Authority representative in your area or call the ACE Desk at 1-800-TO-ARUBA. Government members of the new CTO Executive Committee: (Tourism ministers from left to right) Hon. Harold Lovell, Antigua and Barbuda; Hon. Brenda Hood, Grenada; Hon. Philip Pi- 2006 ATA erre, St. Lucia (CTO Chairman); Hon. Aloun N’Dombet Assamba, Jamaica; and Hon. Richard Skerritt, St. Kitts and Nevis. CTO CHAPTER NEWS Page 3 OUR CHAPTERS IN NEW CARIBBEAN Special Offers for New U.S. Passport ACTION . AIRLINE Holders CREATIVITY IN TRAVEL AWARDS PRESENTED REPLACES BWEE AT CTC-29 For New U.S. passport holders who travel first to ARUBA: Caribbean Airlines, as of Two CTO chapter agents among winners Amsterdam Manor Beach Resort—$25 food and bever- age credit per person, per stay; Jan. 3, 2007 - Dec. 17, 2007; January 1, 2007, will be www.AmsterdamManor.com or 1-800-932-6509. replacing BWIA West In- Boardwalk Boutique Hotel Aruba—$50 car rental dies Airways, which has voucher per person; book now through Dec. 31, 2006 for served the Caribbean for travel through 2007; www.arubaboardwalk.com or 011-297- 66 years. The first Carib- 586-1836. bean Airlines flight will La Cabana All Suite Resort—25% off regular nightly also take off on the first rates; book by Dec. 15, 2006 for travel in 2007; call Reserva- day of the new year. tion Center at 1-800-835-7193. MVC Eagle Beach—$25 food and beverage credit per Tickets purchased person, per stay; valid from Jan. 3, 2007 to Dec. 17, 2007; on BWIA will be honored www.MVCEagleBeach.com or 011-297-587-0110. by the new airline and Westin Aruba Resort, Spa & Casino—$50 food and bev- frequent flyer miles in erage credit per person, per stay; valid now through 2007; Club BWEE will automati- www.Starwood.com/Aruba or 1-866-978-5792. cally be transferred. For Juanita Daniel, with Fernando Abreu, CTO Deputy Director more information go to of Marketing (l) and Kerry Cannon, Jr., Group Publisher, In THE BAHAMAS, Club Peace & Plenty, located on the Island www.caribbean-airlines. Travel Agent Magazine (r) of Exuma, will reimburse the basic cost of obtaining a pass- port for up to two children and two adults. Valid for bookings com or www.bwee.com, or call 868-627-2942. Agents, like most professionals, don’t like the received by Dec. 31, 2006 for travel in 2007; www. idea of sharing secrets with others in the busi- peaceandplenty.com or 1-800-525-2210. ness, but the sharing of information could ac- Westin and Sheraton Grand Bahama Island Our Lucaya Resort—$100 resort credit to guests who obtain a passport Caribbean Cuisine tually help sales and should even be consid- now through Dec. 31, 2006 for travel now through June ered a necessity to any successful agency, 2007; www.ourlucaya.com or 1-888-627-7129 for the Shera- and Entertainment says Janie Owen of Marathon Tours & Travel in ton or 1-888-627-7130 for the Westin. in Philadelphia Boston and member of the CTO New England Chapter. In ANGUILLA, Arawak Beach Inn—a special rate and a compli- The Caribbean Tourism Owen was one of three travel agents hon- mentary day-trip to U.S. travelers who make Anguilla the first Organization (CTO) took ored at CTC-29 as part of the Creativity in stamp in their new passport; valid for travel now through June an element of Caribbean Travel Awards program sponsored by Travel 30, 2007; www.arawakbeach.com or 1-877-427-2925. Week in New York to the Agent magazine and CTO.Passport In ST. LUCIA, Ladera Resort will reimburse the cost to obtain a King of Prussia Mall in Owen, who won in the category “Creativity passport to travelers who make St.