Caribbean Hotel Association Set for Renewal

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
Contact:  Lorraine J. Ortiz-Valcárcel 
T: 787.725.9139, x 244 / E: Lortiz@caribbeanhotels.org 

CARIBBEAN HOTEL ASSOCIATION SET FOR RENEWAL
 
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (August 5, 2003) - Following the productive rounds of 
discussions that took place during the recent Caribbean Hotel Industry 
Conference, CHIC 2003, the leadership of the Caribbean Hotel Association 
(CHA) has announced that beginning this month, the organization will undergo 
a thorough examination of its products and services, with the ultimate goal 
of revitalizing CHA into a more relevant body in this era of global tourism 
concerns.  
 
"The driving themes I put forward when assuming the presidency of CHA are 
unity, ingenuity, and diversity," said CHA President Simón Suárez.  "The 
leadership meetings that took place in conjunction with our annual 
conference, as well as the conference itself, truly embodied those three 
principles.  More importantly, however, the proceedings at CHIC underscored 
the need to infuse CHA's product with these values.  The consensus among 
conference attendees was that CHA must examine its programs and services in 
light of these principles.  It was very encouraging to see our members and 
leadership display such degree of commitment to their association," he 
commented. 
 
The process began with the development of a strategic plan with help of a 
group of the volunteer leader members.  The document that resulted from the 
two-day brainstorming exercise last April in Puerto Plata, Dominican 
Republic, was presented at the meetings of the CHA standing committees, the 
Executive Committee, and the Board of Directors, held in conjunction with 
CHIC 2003.  Advocacy and research are the main thrusts of the new strategic 
plan, which also places a strong emphasis on the renewal of the organization 
to better serve its diverse membership.  
 
"The Caribbean hotel sector is not the same today as it was in 1962, when CHA 
was founded - and neither is the business climate," explained Richard Doumeng 
Jr., an active St. Thomas small hotelier who serves as CHA's 5th Vice 
President and Chairman of the Membership Committee, in reference to the 
strategic plan.  "We intend to take a good, hard look at the broad range of 
programs and services that CHA currently offers, from the ground up, and 
determine whether each is valuable, needs updating, or no longer serves a 
practical purpose.  We expect to end up with an product that is relevant in 
every sense and indispensable to the Caribbean hotel sector - small and large 
properties; chains, franchises, all-inclusive, and timesharing; Spanish, 
English, French, and Dutch alike," he concluded. 
 
Another issue that the CHA leadership and staff will address is branding.   
After the necessary assessment of CHA programs and services, which must 
include the rationalization of the linkages between CHA and its 
environmental, culinary, and human resource development divisions, the next 
phase is the development of an effective branding program to re-position the 
organization and divisions within the membership, the tourism industry, the 
regional community, and the governments.
 
CHA President Simón Suárez and the Officers of the CHA Executive Committee 
will kick start the process with a steering meeting on Friday, August 8th, at 
the CHA office in San Juan.  The CHA Officers are:  Berthia Parle, St. Lucia; 
1st Vice President and President-Elect; Peter Odle, Barbados, 2nd Vice 
President; Gabriel Escalante, Mexico, 3rd Vice President; Robert Sherman, 
Antigua, 4th Vice President; and Richard Doumeng, St. Thomas, USVI, 5th Vice 
President.