No.07/2009 - 10th June, 2009

 

In this edition
TASTE of the Caribbean

Annual General Meeting
  
FTO and MOT Seminars
 
Good News from Italyibcert
 
Fishing Tournament donates to Crime Stoppers
 
Food Supervisors course postponed
 
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New Members
  
- Stanley Estates
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On the Move
 
Mo Sallah is the new General Manager at the Lighthouse Bay Resort in Barbuda
 
Nabil Chahwan is the new General Manager at the Grand Royal Antiguan. Nabil is no stranger to Antigua having previously worked at Sandals Grand Antigua. 
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Average Hotel occupancies 2009 & 2008
 
                         2009            2008
January -    62.4%  -     74.1%
February -   73.9% -     81.1%
March -         69.3% -    72.7%
April -            60.4% -    72.4%
May -              54.7% -   63.7% 
 
2008
June - 57.3%
July - 58.2%
August - 57.8%
September - 42.1%
October - 50.9%
November - 63.8%
December - 58.1%
Total year 2008 - 63.1%
 
 
For more detailed information
click here
 
For the latest CTO statistics on international arrivals to the Caribbean for 2009
click here.
(last update May 28th)
 
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Summer 2009 Closures
 
Admirals Inn - 2nd June - 14th November
Blue Waters - 30th August - 10th October
Carlisle Bay - 29th August - 17th October
Copper & Lumber - 15th August - 15th October
Curtain Bluff - 31st July - 31st October
Hermitage Bay - 6th September - 5th October
Galleon Beach - 1st June - TBA
Long Bay - 25th March - 15th November
The Inn - 7th June - 1st November
 
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 Upcoming Events
  
TASTE of the Caribbean
San Juan, Puerto Rico
12th-14th June
 
A.H.T.A. - Annual General Meeting
25th June
 
FTO/MOT Transportation Seminar
23rd July
 
FTO/MOT Safety and Security Seminar
24th July
 
26th July to 4th August
 
Christian Valley Mango Festival 2009 -
15th & 16th August
 
TOP RESA - Paris
22nd - 25th September
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is at your service to help you fill those vacant positions. At no cost we will post any vacant positions to the website.
 
Just send in the details to the AHTA Office
 

 
 
 
       
Welcome to the Newsletter of the Antigua Hotels & Tourist Association.  
 
TASTE of the Caribbean

 

The prestigious TASTE of the Caribbean Culinary Competition in San Juan is only days away. After a practise session last Thursday the Antigua team is busy getting themselves prepared and refining the menu options that they will be presenting at the competition.

The team of six comprises team manager, Verman Banhan, Executive Chef at Hermitage Bay, team leader Graham Singer, Executive Chef and Charlesworth Jeremy Executive Sous Chef, both from the Blue Waters Hotel, Marika Nurse Anthony, Sous Chef at Carlisle Bay and Dagobert Arriazza from Sandals Grand Antigua will be representing the nation as Pastry Chef. Andie Henry, Sous Chef at Sandals will also be accompanying the team. Tajah Philip, head bartender at Hermitage Bay will be participating in the bartender competition on Friday evening. The team members were selected through participating in Antigua’s Culinary Festival in March. They will compete against 12 other teams from across the Caribbean.
 
At the training session on Thursday evening the team served the required 35 plates to an audiance of hoteliers and friends in the Vyvian's Restaurant at Blue Waters. The sample menu was a first-time effort from the team and was put together under competition conditions. A fish starter which included a fillet grouper, fritter and terrine was given a Mexican-Caribbean flair by a tri-pepper salsa. Beef, roasted beetroot and Antiguan vegetable pepperpot featured in the second course while Antigua’s renowned Cavalier rum was celebrated in a rum and raisin cake which was teamed up with chocolate dacquoise and blueberry and chocolate mousse for dessert.
 
The team would like to thank the management at Blue Waters for the use of the restaurant for the practise session.
 
We wish the team well as they travel to San Juan to fly the National flag and do us proud.
 
         
Annual General Meeting
The Annual General Meeting of the Antigua Hotels and Toursit Association will take place at the Sandals Grand antigua at 3pm on Thursday June 25th.
 
At this meeting a new Board of Directors will be duly appointed. The Board is composed of 8 directors from the hotel membership, 3 directors from the associate membership and 1 director from the airlines.

Remember to vote at the AGM you must be up to date with your membership dues.
Federation of Tour Operators and Ministry Of Tourism Seminars

The Ministry of Tourism is teaming-up with the Federation of Tour Operators (FTO UK based) to conduct two separate training seminars focusing on major issues which can impact the quality of the country’s tourism product offerings.

The Transportation Seminar would be conducted on July 23rd while The Safety & Security Seminar on July 24th. The seminars are planned to provide opportunities for exchange of ideas and experiences; orientation and guidelines for best practices, and increased knowledge, understanding and awareness of the importance of partnership and collaboration between local tourism stakeholders, including Ground Tour Operators who have direct working relationship with international Tour Operators.

As a tourist destination receiving a large percentage of our tourists from the UK market, we must be mindful that Tour Operators who organise and provide package holidays to tourists visiting our country, are required by law to ensure that their customers obtain what is promised. Tour Operators are therefore legally responsible for the various components of each holiday package to include transportation (taxis, coach transfers, etc.) and also to ensure the safety and wellbeing of their customers. Additionally, once the customer’s holiday is underway, the Tour Operators are responsible for providing support and advise related to management of crises/incidents.
 
Registration Forms are available either from the AHTA or from Cynthia Simon at the Ministry of Tourism. Forms should be completed and returned by June 25th.

                                          

                

Good news from Italy

The ABTA in Italy recently met with Livingston who confirmed that the July / August charter flight from Milan will once more operate this summer.
 
The Italian Tour Operators will be working closely with the hotel properties in Antigua to ensure that enticing offers are put to the Italian public to make this flight a success
 
Negotiations are ongoing with Livingston to try and turn this seasonal charter into a year round operation from 2010
Antigua and Barbuda Sports Fishing Tournament makes donation to
Crime Stoppers
 
On Sunday evening 31st May, Sergeant Lawrence Clarke was invited to receive a cheque for EC$800 from the Antigua and Barbuda Sport Fishing Club. The money was raised as part of the entrance fees at the launch party for this year's tournament, held at Life Bar and Grill in English Harbour. Chairman Phillip Shoul handed over the cheque during the 43rd Annual Antigua and Barbuda Sports Fishing Tournament which ended in an awards ceremony on Monday night, in Nelson’s Dockyard.

 
 
 
Food Supervisors Course postponed
 
 It is with disappointment that the Ministry has confirmed postponement of the scheduled F&B (Restaurant) Supervisors’ Training Programme for June 15th-19th.

Administrative arrangements needed to formalise the draw-down on the project financing from the donor are still being finalised. A new date will be set considering the availability of both the Facilitator and the Venue. In light of this, it now appears at this time, that dates in August would be the most likely. The Ministry will advise us in due course of the exact period.

With this re-scheduling, it gives an opportunity for hoteliers who have not had a chance to consider the offer to be involved, to now do so.

The new final date for submission of registration forms and if applicable, the CHDT Application Form (1 per participant) is now JUNE 26th. It is planned to proceed immediately after that date, with the necessary arrangements well in advance, to include vetting of CHDT Exam Applications by AH&LEI, and ordering of the Manuals.
 
For further information please contact Cynthia Simon at the Ministry of Tourism or the AHTA office.

 

Antigua Hotels & Tourist Association
PO Box 454, Island House, Newgate Street
St John's
Antigua
 E-mail: neil@antiguahotels.org
http://www.antiguahotels.org