With Stanford International Bank title sponsors of Antigua Sailing Week for the last two years now in receivership, the bank will now longer be a sponsor of this year’s event. As such the event will de dropping the Stanford name with immediate effect and will revert to simply Antigua Sailing Week.

However the organizing committee would like to reassure all the participants and all those planning to attend this year’s Antigua Sailing Week that the regatta will be going ahead as planned.

Despite the financial challenges that this loss of sponsorship will bring, all will be done to ensure that the racing on the water is not compromised in any way by this turn of events. This is a pivotal year for ASW with the introduction of a new format and also the Antigua Ocean Series, setting the vision for the years to come.

 

The regatta will no doubt be financially challenged and will be obliged to adjust its budgets accordingly. However on a positive side it does have a new Gold Sponsor in the form of Corum Watches who have become our official timekeeper and this will partially help to offset the shortfall.

The race Committee will strive in every way to maintain the high standards of racing that Sailing Week has been known for. ASW has contracted this year with GWM Race management who will be coming over to manage the on-water side of the regatta and they will still be coming. Fortunately over the years Sailing Week has built up it's own resources and is able to continue in adverse circumstances such as these.

This year may be missing some of the frills but the regatta will still be providing the thrills !!

The Tourism Education, Training and Awareness Unit within the Ministry of Tourism will continue its series of training programmes with a CHDT Workshop focusing on creating a “Guest Focused Organisation”.

 

The Ministry of Tourism organised and completed two training programmes during the month of February, co-financed by OAS/MoT. To date the programmes have targeted small hotel owners and managers and F&B management staff in a Small Hotel Business and Operation Management and F&B Management Workshop; and F&B employees in a Restaurant Service Skills and F&B Supervisors Workshop. Eleven (11) of the F&B Supervisors wrote the CHDT Exam.

 

This next workshop scheduled for March 16th-20th will target Front Desk and Housekeeping employees. Participants who attend this workshop will learn how to identify guests' needs and expectations and develop a framework for training that emphasises the provision for excellent guest service.

 

 Participants will also be given an opportunity to develop a training strategy using mission and value statements for their departments. These statements will be used to develop knowledge, skills and attitude training for Front Desk and Housekeeping areas. In addition, participants will have an opportunity to sit the CHDT certification exam set and marked by the American Hotel & Learning Educational Institute.

 

For further information on this workshop contact Cynthia Simon at 462.2506 or the AHTA. The deadline for registration is March 5th.