More Funds for Professional Training in Caribbean Tourism Industry

Striving to assist young people upgrade their tourism skills, the Caribbean Hotel Foundation (CHF), the region´s largest scholarship program for the tourism industry, fulfilled the promise made last year by its leadership to intensify fundraising efforts aggressively.

Indeed, the CHF has managed to double the amount of funds raised compared to the previous year, to approximately US$140,000, mostly thanks to newly created corporate scholarships, the organization asserted.

The floodgates of corporate responsibility efforts to spur the professional development of the Caribbean hospitality workforce opened last year, led by Virgin Holidays, with a US$10,000 annual contribution to CHF, which was awarded in 2004 to an outstanding applicant from Trinidad.

Since then, Interval International has recently committed to contribute US$45,000 over the next three years. As a result, a US$7,500 Interval International scholarship will be awarded each year for three years.

Most recently, the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) has presented the Foundation with a check for $30,000, which will be awarded as two FCCA scholarships in 2005; and the rest will be used in following years.

The application process for 2005 scholarships is open until March 31, 2005. Application forms are available at www.caribbeanhotelfoundation.org.