United States Virgin Islands (USVI) Commissioner of Tourism, Pamela Richards who was recently named one of the most influential African-American managers in the hospitality, meetings and tourism industry by the California-based Black Meetings & Tourism magazine, has been praised by Caribbean Hotel Association President SimÌ?n SuÌÁrez.

“We`re not surprised,” said Simón Suárez, President of the Caribbean Hotel Association, who hailed Commissioner Richards for her leadership role in galvanizing public sector support for the Life Needs the Caribbean regional marketing initiative.

 

“She has played a pioneering role by showing her Caribbean colleagues the critical link between tourism and regional cooperative prosperity,” Suárez said of Richards, who was one of the region’s first tourism executives to tie her destination to the regional program. “She has a strong passion for the development of the US Virgin Islands and the wider Caribbean region which is inspiring and infectious.”

 

The Commissioner will be featured for the third consecutive year in the magazine`s special October/November issue, highlighting an elite group of black hospitality and tourism managers. “I am honored to be named to this prestigious list of African-American managers,” Richards said. “This personal distinction is a tribute to the reputable marketing efforts that the Department of Tourism has achieved in the increasingly competitive tourism environment.”
She says of the Life Needs the Caribbean initiative, “I believe the campaign was very successful in branding the Caribbean. Indeed, any effort after 10 years of silence would have made a difference, but I think that this one was well executed.” Commissioner Richards was especially pleased with the success of the internet marketing phase of the program, and has been able to see the increased interest in the US Virgin Islands from public exposure to the campaign’s booking engine www.GoCaribbean.com.

 

Related Stories on Caribbean Weekly:
(22/08/03) CTC to be Hosted in USVI

(04/09/03) Black Meetings & Tourism Again Names Richards One of the Most Influential Managers in Hospitality/Meetings/Tourism Industry

(09/09/03) USVI `Excited` to host CTC-26

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