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Jamaica Tourism Minister urges Employers to Fully Participate in Pension Scheme

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Jamaica Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, is urging all employers in the sector, to participate fully in the Jamaica Tourism Workers’ Pension Scheme, which is scheduled to become operational early next year.

The first of its kind Tourism Worker’s Pension Scheme, is a contributory one that embraces some 350,000 full-time, part-time, self-employed and contract workers across the sector, including red cap porters, front desk managers, craft traders, housekeepers and raftsmen.

Speaking yesterday at the third Graduation Ceremony of the Jamaica Centre of Tourism Innovation at the Montego Bay Convention Centre, Minister Bartlett said, “The Tourism Workers’ pension scheme represents the final prong in our commitment to human capital development.

Our workers deserve financial security at the end of their tenure, which this pension scheme will provide and so I urge all employers to get on board and support this landmark legislation.”

The Tourism Workers’ Pension Scheme is also designed to cover all workers ages 18-59 years in the tourism sector.

“We are well on our way to ensuring the scheme becomes operational. The Governor General has given his assent and I have just recently established the Board of Trustees which met earlier this week,” added Minister Bartlett.

The Board of Trustees will play a critical role in the management of the scheme starting with the review of the regulations required to make it operational. The Board’s mandate will also include management of all moneys paid, or assets transferred into the Scheme and the appointment of a Fund manager.

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MEDIA CONTACT: Jamaica Ministry of Tourism, Corporate Communications, 64 Knutsford Boulevard, Kingston 5, Tel: 920-4926-30, Fax: 920-4944

Minister Bartlett to announce Board of Trustees for landmark Tourism Workers’ Pension Scheme

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Jamaica‘s Tourism Minister Hon. Edmund Bartlett, is set to announce the appointment of a Board of Trustees for the recently passed landmark Tourism Workers’ Pension Scheme. Designed to cover all workers ages 18-59 years in the tourism sector, whether permanent, contract or self-employed, the Scheme will cover all categories of workers.

“The Board of Trustees, which will comprise of a mix of highly capable stakeholders from the public and private sectors, will play a critical role in the management of the Scheme starting with the review of the regulations required to make it operational,” said Minister Bartlett.

The Board’s mandate will also include management of all moneys paid, or assets transferred into the Scheme and the appointment of a Fund manager. The pension Scheme which was passed in parliament in July, has also received the assent of the Governor General, His Excellency the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen.

In highlighting the importance of this next phase of the pension Scheme, Minister Bartlett said, “The appointment of the Board of Trustees will take us one step closer to making the act come to life and speaks to the government’s commitment to human capital development. This pension Scheme will secure the safety, future and social requirements of the people who work in it.”

The Tourism Workers’ Pension Scheme will receive $1 billion in funding from the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) and benefits will be payable at age 65 years or older.

MEDIA CONTACT: Jamaica Ministry of Tourism, Corporate Communications, 64 Knutsford Boulevard, Kingston 5, Tel: 920-4926-30, Fax: 920-4944

Rhyne Park to provide more Home Ownership Possibilities for Tourism Workers, says Bartlett

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Jamaica Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, says the Rhyne Park development will increase and expand the range of possibilities for more home ownership and create a greater sense of community within the Montego Bay area.

Speaking at the official ground breaking at the site yesterday, Minister Bartlett said, “This is another exercise of hope in real gain and capital appreciation to a number of deserving citizens here in St. James.

One of the challenges of this development was taking on the difficult terrain and still come out at a price point that was affordable to the average person in Jamaica but more specifically to the workers of the tourism industry and we have overcome that challenge and home ownership will become a reality.”

Rhyne Park sits on the outskirts of Montego Bay in Rose Hall and adjoins communities including Spot Valley, Cornwall and Dover. The Rhyne Park development will respond to the housing needs of low to middle income earners in St. James, and persons employed to the attractions and accommodations sector in Montego Bay.

“Today we break ground for 754 mixed units that will allow for a price point ranging from 7.9million dollars to 18million dollars, which is the best that I have heard of to date in the country. Rhyne Park will also become part of a bigger development in the area which already has over 2000 houses,” Minister Bartlett added.

The Tourism Minister also indicated that the Rhyne Park development is timely and necessary given the exponential growth of the industry.

 He said, “More importantly is the development of the accommodation subsector as we have now completed negotiations and are waiting for a date to break ground for one of the largest casino hotels with 1700 rooms.

In the next five years, more than 6000 rooms will be developed along the elegant corridor which will create a demand for more and more housing and create jobs and more jobs for the people of Montego Bay.

Media Contact:

Corporate Communications

Ministry of Tourism

64 Knutsford Boulevard

Kingston 5

Tel: (876) 920-4926-30

Fax: (876) 906 1729

Jamaica’s Tourism Workers’ Pension Scheme to be a Landmark for Global Tourism Social Legislation – says Bartlett

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Jamaica Tourism Minister, Hon Edmund Bartlett says the Tourism Workers’ Pension Scheme will be a landmark plan for tourism social legislation in the world, as it will be the first of its kind to provide a comprehensive pension plan for all the workers of the tourism sector — whether permanent, contract or self-employed.

Speaking at a Jamaica Tourism Workers’ Pension Scheme Awareness and Sensitization Seminar at the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston yesterday, the Minister noted that “We now as a result of collective efforts over a period of time, have come together with a plan that will be a landmark plan for tourism social legislation in the world. Jamaica will be the only country in the world that has a comprehensive pension plan for all the workers of the tourism sector.”

The Tourism Workers’ Pensions scheme is designed to cover all workers ages 18-59 years in the tourism sector, whether permanent, contract or self-employed.  This includes hotel workers as well as persons employed in related industries, such as craft vendors, tour operators, red cap porters, contract carriage operators and workers at attractions.

The Tourism Workers’ Pension Scheme, which will receive $1 billion in funding from the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), will see benefits being payable at age 65 years or older.

“This landmark piece of social legislation in the industry is going to represent in time, the largest pool of domestic savings that this economy would have provided. Real growth comes when we are able to convert domestic savings into investments,” he said.

He further noted that the plan will be of particular interest to workers in the industry who have been employed at a number of organizations over the years on short-term employment contracts.

“The plan will protect contract workers by providing them with a social safety net. It will enable them to join as a self-employed person. So you can move from one company to the other, change your contract, knowing that your retirement plans are secure,” said Minister Bartlett.

According to the Tourism Minister, the scheme is the final piece in a four-point human capital development plan to enhance Jamaica’s tourism workers.

The other three initiatives in the human capital development plan are training, capacity building and creating the ability of tourism workers to have knowledge and convert that knowledge into practical applications; providing a pathway to professionalism and jobs; and improving the social conditions around which the tourism worker lives.

“If we are to build the capacity of tourism to deliver on the prosperity agenda, we must build the capacity of the people, the human capital must be enhanced. We think that there is no equity in this game, if this industry is so big, and it cannot secure the safety, future and social requirements of the people who work in it,” he said.

The Tourism Workers’ Pension Scheme Bill was passed in the House of Parliament on June 25 and is in keeping with the Government’s focus on creating a social security network within the tourism sector.

The Ministry of Tourism will host three other Tourism Workers’ Pension Scheme Awareness and Sensitization Seminars in Ocho Rios, Montego Bay and Negril within the next two weeks, as part of their public awareness campaign.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Corporate Communications Division

Ministry of Tourism,

64 Knutsford Boulevard,

Kingston 5.

Tel: 920-4926-30,

Fax: 920-4944

Reimagining Tourism through Human Capital Development

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“Reimagining Tourism through Human Capital Development” written by Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett.

Around the world today tourism processes, tools, structures, systems and actors are being radically reviewed, reorganized and remade. In other words, tourism is being reimagined. What this means is destinations across the globe must find innovative methods to remain relevant and viable in this increasingly competitive industry.

Here in Jamaica, through strategic policy programmes and initiatives, we have been playing our part in this reimagining exercise in a bid to thrive in this space. Arrivals and earnings continue to hit records with 1.7million visitors (stopover and cruise combined) coming to our shores and spending USD1.2billion within the first four months of 2019; and the sector’s contribution to the country’s GDP now stands at 9%. Despite our continued successes we have never been complacent and seek to improve on this record growth.

A major component in the reimagining process is our human capital development strategy. This is a critical area to develop as our people remain our most iconic attraction. They represent the driving force behind our continued success and we recognize that to remain top of mind in the market and maintain our competitive advantage we must build our human capital by training and certifying them so as to increase their stackable credentials. This is why we have run the gamut from High School, through Tourism Sector workers and now into the realm of Graduate studies.

Hospitality and Tourism Management Programme

Last year we launched the first ever Hospitality and Tourism Management Programme (HTMP) in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information. The HTMP is a unique certification programme for high schools offered by the American Hotel and Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI), which will allow students to gain entry-level qualifications in tourism as well as Associate Degrees in Customer Service and is recognized by the Jamaica Customer Service Association (JaCSA). This is a two year program currently offered in 33 High Schools across Jamaica with a cohort of 350 students now and will be expanded to 650 students by 2020.

Jamaica Centre of Tourism Innovation

The Jamaica Centre of Tourism Innovation (JCTI), was launched in 2017 as a pathway to professional certification in the sector. Its mandate is to identify competent workers in the industry who are not certified and also graduates from tertiary institutions who have theoretical knowledge but no practical experience. This programme will allow the workers of the sector to achieve mobility in the workspace while being effectively positioned to command professional advancement.

The JCTI, which was established with local and international organizations, is also on target to train 8,000 tourism workers over the next five years.

In April of last year, over 150 persons graduated from the JCTI with American Hotel and Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI) and NVQJ Certification. While in November, over 300 persons received certification in tourism related fields including: 14 Certified Hospitality Educators; 9 Certified Hospitality Instructors; 17 Culinary Tutors; 12 Culinarians and Pastry Chefs; 20 Bartender Trainers and over 200 Bartenders.

In addition, we have established a program to certify workers in the entertainment sub-sector of our Hotels with 26 workers already achieving certification from the inaugural Tourism Linkages Network’s DJ Capacity Enhancement Training Program.

Graduate School of Tourism

With the changing technologies and modalities in the global tourism industry, the focus of talent development must extend beyond traditional areas and now consider the emerging skill requirements of an increasingly differentiated and segmented tourism sector. We recognize that even though tourism is a highly labor-intensive sector, the majority of the tourism-related jobs available are deemed to require low to medium-level technical skills and tend to offer relatively limited prospect for economic mobility. Consequently, the sector may not be viewed as attractive by a large number of people seeking high-skilled jobs.

The future of tourism lies in the manipulation and exploitation of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) capabilities such as big data, big data analytics, blockchain technologies, the Internet of Things, robotics, etc. We therefore need to urgently capitalize on the opportunities for high-skilled employment that are being generated in the ICT-related fields in tourism.

Within this context, we continue to identify the relevant skillsets needed to fill jobs in the evolving tourism sector with the anticipation that these skillsets will be translated into curricula that can be implemented as professional higher education programmes by tertiary institutions in Jamaica.

This is why I recently made a pitch at a function at the University of the West Indies for the institution to establish a School of Tourism. It will specialize in emerging areas, such as resilience-related studies, climate management, project management, tourism management, tourism risk management, tourism crisis management, communication management, tourism marketing and branding, monitoring and evaluation, sustainable tourism policies and tourism entrepreneurship. The University of the West Indies (UWI) should have its first-ever Graduate School of Tourism established at its Western Jamaica Campus by 2020.

Conclusion

We are doing this level of human capital development to not only reimagine the sector but influence the labour market arrangements, by professionalizing the sector and creating a cadre of workers that are qualified, certified and can be classified. Tourism workers will now be able to attract remuneration based on their certification and this is the surest way of securing tenure.

Building the capacity of our workers to be more innovative in this global industry is indeed the future of tourism. As we anticipate even further growth with more hotel rooms and more visitors, our workers will be the driving force in meeting these increased demands.

MEDIA CONTACT: Jamaica Ministry of Tourism, Corporate Communications, 64 Knutsford Boulevard, Kingston 5, Tel: 920-4926-30, Fax: 920-4944

India’s tea gardens beckon tourists

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India, one of the top tea producers in the world, is experimenting with tea tourism in view of the growing interest shown by tourists to visit tea plantations and tea factories. Ambling through a sprawling tea plantation with greenery all around in the early hours of the day watching a group of local women plucking two leaves and a bud at a fast pace with their nimble hands and collecting them into baskets slung on their shoulders is a winning sight for tourists. India now leads to give tea-buffs and tourists a closer understanding of tea by organizing tea tourism at places like Assam, Darjeeling (West Bengal), Nilgiris belt in Tamil Nadu, and a few pockets in Kerala and Karnataka.

Tea tourism is defined as tourism that is motivated by an interest in the history, culture, traditions and consumption of tea. Estate bungalows amidst sweeping acres of manicured tea plantations have now been converted into tourist accommodations. Not just staying in the midst of tea gardens, tea tourists  are taken to a tea factory, where they get to experience how the fresh green leaves are brought into the tea factory for withering to the rolling, drying and shifting stages, grading and packaging and followed by  a tea-tasting session where they could sip some of the finest tea that is grown in that area.

A view of Tea plucking in a tea garden of Assam

Assam in the lead for tea tourism

The first name that crops up in mind for tea tourism is Assam, the largest tea producing region in India.  The Assam Tea Tourism Festival held at Jorhat every year is a big hit with tourists. Staying in a rustic  colonial-era planter’s bungalow has its own charm. Home to more than 800 tea estates in the state,  where amidst luxury and serenity one can drift back in time to days of that elegant colonial aristocracy.  The B & A Limited operates through seven quality Tea Estates in the India’s largest tea growing region of Assam. The Guwahati Tea Action Centre, one of the busiest tea trading facilities in the world, is a place not to be missed. Others  include Corramore Tea Estate, Teloijan Tea Estate and Khongea Tea Estate besides a host of others.

Another major development which is currently in progress is the tourist-friendly makeover of  world’s oldest and biggest tea research center at Tocklai (Assam), with edifices  that each have a story to tell. A.K. Barooah, director of the Tea Research Association, said recently that the Tocklai Guest House, a heritage building, was home to  British tea planters A tea museum will be built with suitable dioramas, models and displays. He said Tocklai can tie-up with other tea tourism enterprises like Kaziranga Golf Resort (Bura Sahib bungalow), Banyan Grove and Thengal Manor bungalow in Jorhat district, the Mancotta chang bungalow and Chowkidingee chang bungalow situated in the heart of Dibrugarh town.”

West Bengal is also fast catching up with Assam in promoting tea tourism. Its Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee last month mentioned that her government will consider tea tourism to benefit tea plantations in the state.

She said, “We have allocated more than Rs. 1,000 crore for the welfare of tea garden workers since 2011. Tea tourism is also under our consideration.”

The WB state government permits one acre of tea estates to be used for tourism purposes. Currently there are 87 operational tea gardens in Darjeeling district covering an aggregated area of about 19,000 hectares under tea plantation. Darjeeling surrounded by tea orchards that produce the famous light-colored and aromatic Darjeeling Tea has the right ingredients for tea tourism. Makaibari Tea Estate and Homestay in Kurseong, 37 kms from Darjeeling, is one of the top tea producing gardens in the world. In the vicinity of  Darjeeling is the Happy valley Tea Estate, one of the highest tea gardens in the world. Raj-era estates located in some of the most scenic destinations in India — the rolling Himalayan foothills of Darjeeling and Dooars beckon tourists. Some famous estates include Glenburn Tea Estate, Sourenee Tea Estate, Singtom Tea Estate and Resort, Ambootia Tea Garden, Barnesbeg Tea Estate and  Castleton Tea Estate among others. Goodricke Group Ltd. is offering tourism opportunities in one of its tea estates in  Darjeeling where it has five gardens.

South India also catching up fast

Besides the Northeast belt, in south it is Tamil Nadu which is home to some of the largest tea-growing belts in the country. Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu is the largest tea producing district in South India, and its tea is  renowned for its aroma and flavor. With Tamil Nadu producing  65% of tea in South India spanning an area of 65,000 hectares, the Nilgiris area offers great scope for tea tourism. Valparai, a quaint hill station located about 100 km from Coimbatore, is teeming with tea plantations. Billimalai Tea Estate at Glendale, about 10 kilometers from Coonoor, is a perfect place to experience  how tea is processed.

Munnar in Kerala is rustic belle of hill stations where acres and acres of tea plantations feast one’s eyes. A visit to country’s first Tea Museum at Nallathanni Estate is highly recommended at it narrates the history of tea production in the region. The Kundala Tea Plantation in Munnar offers tourists the tea making process in great detail. Tea Sanctuary here is home to refurbished vintage colonial style bungalows amidst misty tea plantations. Considered the  highest altitude tea plantation in the world, Kolukkumalai, near Munnar, is known for  preserving the British heritage in tea-making at the factory here. Wayanad in Kalpatta district produces substantial amount of tea whose lush green tea gardens are a feast for the sore eyes. The Wayanad Tea County in the midst  of the picturesque  395 acre estate, many  vantage viewpoints, and trekking routes is a better option.

In Karnataka, Coorg, and  the Baba Budan Hills in Chickmagalur are tea-producing regions, but tea tourism is yet to catch here.

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Canadian tourist falls to his death from Chiang Mai zipline after safety locks brake

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A visitor from Canada fell to his death from a zipline in the northern province of Chiang Mai on Saturday.

Thai rescue officials said the 25-year-old tourist died while riding a zipline in a forest at the popular tourist destination Mae Kam Pong. His safety locks broke, causing him to plunge more than 50 meters into a creek. He died at the scene.

Zipline operator Flight of the Gibbon said it would take full responsibility and compensate the victim’s family.

Workers at the zipline service said the safety locks broke shortly after the tourist, who reportedly weighed about 400 pounds (180 kilograms), took off from the starting point. One Hawaiian zipline operator puts its maximum weight limit at 260 pounds, or around 118 kilograms.

The operator’s website states that people weighing more than 275 pounds (125 kilograms) are not allowed to ride. It is not immediately clear why the tourist was allowed to do so.

Maj. Gen. Pichate Jiranantasin, provincial police chief, said the operator has been charged with fatal negligence for allowing such a heavy person on the ride.

Police suspect that the safety equipment could not hold his weight, adding that they found only three cables installed to hold customers, while there would normally be at least eight lines of cables to ensure safety.

Since 2016, Chiang Mai officials promised to improve safety standards of the many adventure tourism sites in the province following a string of serious or fatal accidents – including accidents at this very zipline operator.

Flight of the Gibbon was ordered a temporary shut down after three Israeli tourists were injured after colliding into one another on the zipline and falling to the ground.

The same company had also been investigated in 2017 for having some of its properties built on protected forest land.

Chiang Mai’s zipline fatalities last happened in 2015, when two Chinese tourists died after falling from two separate zipline attractions, operated by Skyline Adventure and Flying Squirrels. Another Chinese tourist was injured while riding the Flying Squirrels’ zipline in 2016.

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Marriott International opens its 7,000th property

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Marriott International, Inc. today celebrated the opening of its 7,000th property – The St. Regis Hong Kong. The stunning, 27-story luxury hotel, which features butler service, and multiple restaurants, is emblematic of Marriott’s global expansion strategy which disproportionately focuses on the highest lodging tiers as well as fast-growing international markets such as Hong Kong. The company’s first property, the Twin Bridges Marriott, opened in 1957 and was a four-story motor hotel in Arlington, Virginia.

“It’s thrilling to open our 7,000th property, an incredible milestone for a company that began as a nine-stool root beer stand in 1927 and didn’t even open its first hotel until decades later,” said Arne Sorenson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Marriott International. “I can’t think of a more fitting property to hold the honor than The St. Regis Hong Kong which underscores the benefits of our merger with Starwood, the importance of luxury and the tremendous opportunity in Asia.”

Today, Marriott’s pipeline is growing with an increasing number of legacy-Starwood branded hotels with brands such as St. Regis, Luxury Collection and W.

“Our newest luxury hotel – The St. Regis Hong Kong – is a testament to our well-defined global growth strategy,” said Tony Capuano, Marriott’s Executive Vice President and Global Chief Development Officer. “By leveraging our industry-leading luxury brands, including those we gained from the Starwood merger, our robust relationships with multi-unit owners and our expertise in identifying strategic opportunities in global gateway markets such as Hong Kong, we are well positioned to expand our global footprint by 25 percent in the next three years.”

The milestone follows Marriott’s announcement in March that it expects to add more than 1,700 additional hotels by the end of 2021, including about 320 hotels in Asia Pacific. According to STR data, Marriott’s overall open hotels and signed pipeline at the end of 2018 totaled a combined 1.69 million rooms, which exceeds that of its next competitor by 36 percent.

Marriott estimates that these 1,700 properties expected to be added by the end of 2021 could provide up to 150,000 jobs around the world. In Asia Pacific alone, the company’s additions in the region over the same time period could provide up to 56,000 jobs.

“As we look at adding an expected 1,700 properties to our system, hiring and retaining talented people has never been more important to our continued success,” said Dr. David Rodriguez, Chief Global Human Resources Officer, Marriott International. “As our footprint grows more global, workers in our hotels – from bartenders to housekeepers – will have ever-growing choices and opportunities as they grow their careers with Marriott International and its franchisees. For over 90 years, we have focused on building a company that puts its people first and this value remains at the forefront as our global growth continues.”

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Bartlett hosts successful community meeting with Jamaican Diaspora in the UK

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Jamaica Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett says his recent meeting with key members of the Jamaican Diaspora in London was very successful.

Speaking at a community meeting, held at the Jamaican High Commission in London, United Kingdom, yesterday, Minister Bartlett spoke of the importance and impact of the UK and global diaspora on the economy of Jamaica. He also commented that nobody can promote and advocate for Jamaica better than Jamaicans living around the world.

With visitor figures for January – March 2019 already outperforming the previous period in 2018 by 13 per cent, Minister Bartlett updated the diaspora community on the island’s key tourism developments for the year ahead including 10,000 additional rooms by the end of 2020.

He also highlighted the new graduate school for hospitality management and tourism and the wider upskilling programs and qualification opportunities for Jamaicans on the island, to continue to grow the direct economic benefits for the workers of the tourism industry first hand.

“Making up 10 per cent of all arrivals into Jamaica each year, and with one in five workers in the Caribbean employed by tourism, it’s important that we do not underestimate its penetration because if we do, we will lose sight of the fact that almost everyone in Jamaica has their being and sustenance connected to tourism.

Working closely with our diaspora communities around the world is vital to promoting our unique tourism message and we value them as advocates and ambassadors hugely,” said Minister Bartlett.

Minister Bartlett also talked in detail about the importance of the recently launched Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre in Jamaica. A first of its kind, the Centre offers a global tourism resource dedicated to research and analysis on destination preparedness, management and recovery from disruptions or crises around the world which is being pioneered at the University of the West Indies.

Minister Bartlett, who represented Prime Minister, the Most Honourable Andrew Holness at the Caribbean Council’s House of Lords Annual reception in London, returned to the island today.

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Tourism employees celebrated at Employee of the Year awards  

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It was during an appreciation event held on Friday, March 22, 2019, at the Hilton Labriz Jetty at Belombre that 14 employees of the Seychelles tourism industry were recognized for their outstanding achievement.

The initiative of the Ministry for Tourism aims at sensitizing stakeholders on the importance of having in place a recognition program in their respective organization.

The event, which saw the participation of the various hotel representatives and rewarded employees, was conducted in the presence of the Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine, Mr.  Didier Dogley; Mrs. Myriam Telemaque Minister for Employment, Employment, Immigration and Civil Status; Mrs Anne Lafortune Principal Secretary for Tourism and Mrs. Sherin Francis Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) Chief Executive.

Speaking at the launch the Minister for Tourism, retraced the interesting course of the tourism industry since in inception, he expressed his appreciation to the private sector for the support received throughout the years.

“It is important to have an initiative that encourages our employees in the industry to contribute towards making our destination, one which excels in its quality of service provided to our visitors,” said Minister Dogley.

Minister Dogley also commended the various organisation who have committed to the monthly recognition for their employees.

Employees rewarded were Edmond Felicie from Raffles Seychelles; also from Praslin Nelly Brioche representing Les Lauriers Eco Hotel & restaurant; Gary Pouponneau from Constance Lemuria; Williana Wilcock of Paradise Sun; Almea Marie from Berjaya Praslin resort and Akendra Bk from Oasis Hotel Restaurant and Spa.

Recognized at the Hilton group in Seychelles were Therese Belise for Doubletree by Hilton Seychelles Allamanda Resort and Spa, Liza Pool for Hilton Northolme Resort and Spa and Anthony Bannane for Hilton Seychelles Labriz resort and Spa.

On the Constance Ephelia was Pithra Matombe; Carol Fred from Four Seasons Resort Seychelles; Vishnu Sukumaran from Carana Beach Hotel; Micheal Jean-Louis of Eden Bleu Hotel and finally John Mokgethi of North Island

The employee of the year award recognizes employees who have demonstrated and contributed to the improvements of the quality and performance of their respective organisations at national level and seeks to motivate workers to excel and be productive in the workplace.

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