Caribbean Hotel Foundation Supports Tomorrow´s Travel Industry Professionals

The Caribbean Hotel Foundation awarded 39 academic scholarships totaling a record amount of $144,500 to promising Caribbean students and industry professionals from 16 Caribbean islands.

This is a new record high for the nonprofit 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 Degrees, hotel industry staff interested in professional development opportunities, and Tourism & Hospitality university graduates looking forward to advanced degrees and certifications.

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.