CARIBBEAN: Barbados Congratulated for Tourism Success

For Immediate Release

Contact: Samira Cherrouk 202 296-9676
              scherrouk@counterpart.org

Photograph Available at: http://www.mediaexchange.info/tmp/OHNGW.jpeg
CAPTION: (from left to right): President of the Barbados Tourism Authority 
(BTA) Oliver Jordan, BTA Chairman Hudson Husbands, Barbados' Minister of 
Tourism Noel Lynch and Graham Cooke, President and Founder of the World 
Travel Awards. Photo: Barbados Tourism Authority.
           
BARBADOS CONGRATULATED FOR TOURISM SUCCESS

WASHINGTON, DC (October 15, 2003) – Counterpart International, producers of 
the biannual Caribbean Media Exchange on Sustainable Tourism (CMEx), hailed 
the government-run Barbados Tourism Authority (BTA) for capturing top honours 
at the 10th World Travel Awards at The Plaza Hotel in New York on Monday. "We 
were in no way surprised by this award - it's why we decided to hold the next 
session of CMEx on the island", said Counterpart President, Lelei LeLaulu.

Travel agents from more than 200 countries voted Barbados as the Caribbean’s 
Leading Destination, and the Barbados Tourism Authority, the Caribbean's 
Leading Tourist & Convention Bureau, emerging ahead of nominees Tobago, 
Bahamas, Jamaica and St. Lucia in both categories.

Additionally, the island’s Sherbourne Conference Centre copped the award for 
the Caribbean's Leading Conference Centre, while Grantley Adams International 
Airport was voted the Caribbean's Leading Airport.

Air Jamaica, Barbados’ designated flag carrier to the US and one of 
Counterpart’s strategic partners, was voted the Caribbean’s Leading Airline, 
while Sandy Lane Hotel in Barbados captured the 2003 honour of leading golf 
resort in the Caribbean, and Barbados’ Villa Nova the top boutique hotel in 
the region. 

“This is testimony to the visionaries of Barbados tourism, both from the 
public and private sector,” said LeLaulu, who congratulated the island for 
its vision in integrating both government and business, along with civil 
society, into the development of a world class sustainable tourism product. 
"On the tenth anniversary of the historic Barbados Small Islands summit, held 
in the Sherbourne Centre, it is most fitting to see the host island nation 
get the recognition it so richly deserves".

"Sustainable tourism was a major element identified as key to the sustainable 
development of islands in the Barbados Programme of Action ten years ago," 
added LeLaulu, "and it's wonderful to see Barbados take the lead in 
developing this most important sector of the region's economy."

Bill Silvermintz, BTA Vice President of Marketing for The Americas said that 
for travel agents to recognise the fact that “we are the leading Caribbean 
destination … and our efforts at the Barbados Tourism Authority have gone way 
above and beyond, is just extremely rewarding and satisfying.”

Counterpart International’s CMEx V conference will be held in Barbados, 
December 4-8, 2003 at Almond Village Resort in the north of the island.

CMEx partner organisations include Counterpart Caribbean, Caribbean Hotel 
Association, Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism, Air Jamaica, 
Caribbean Hotel Association Charitable Trust (Life Needs the Caribbean), 
EarthVoice and Caribbean Broadcasting Union. 

CMEx V is supported by Almond Beach Resorts, American Express, Bahamas 
Ministry of Tourism, Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association, Barbados Tourism 
Authority, Bay Gardens Hotel, Black Entertainment Television, Cable & 
Wireless, Central Bank of Barbados, Half Moon Montego Bay, Hilton Caribbean, 
Jamaica Pegasus, Ruder Finn, Sandals Resorts, Scotiabank, United Nations 
Population Fund, and Virgin Atlantic Airways. 

ENDS