March 13, 2008 – Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace, the secretary general of the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), will be the guest speaker at the USVI Hotel and Tourism Association,s annual membership meeting. It will be held at noon, on Wednesday, March 19, at the Wyndham Sugar Bay Resort. He will speak on "The Caribbean–the Most Well-Known Destination Brand in the World." A press conference is scheduled for immediately after the meeting.
Vanderpool-Wallace was appointed secretary general in June 2005. Prior to his appointment, he served as director general of the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism for 12 years. He holds a bachelor's degree from Harvard University and an MBA from the University of Miami. Over his years in the tourism industry, he has been awarded the Albert E. Koehl Lifetime Achievement Award in Advertising by the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International, and the Atlas Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Association of Travel Marketing Executives International. In 2002, "Fast Company Magazine" named him one of the Fast 50 Global Champions of Innovation.
"We are honored to have the CTO Secretary General share his forecast on the future of the region," said Lisa Hamilton, president of the V.I. Hotel and Tourism Association. "Our members and the community can expect a spirited, dynamic, and insightful presentation from Mr. Vanderpool-Wallace."
The secretary general will also present at the St. Croix Hotel and Tourism Association membership meeting, which will be held at 5:30 p.m., on Tuesday, March 18, at the Divi Carina Bay Resort.
To R.S.V.P. for either meeting, contact the association's office at 774-6835.
