Officials in the Ministry of Tourism have announced the First National Tourism Conference to be held Jan. 26 – 30.
The theme for the event is “Understanding Tourism Today and Preparing for Tomorrow.”
Director General Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace called the week-long conference, which will culminate in the Eighth Annual Cacique Awards, a national forum for all interested parties to look at the factors necessary for ensuring the sustainability of the industry. However, he added that the focus for the future would be on moving away from mere talk to the execution of great ideas.
The National Tourism Business Plan is a compilation of these ideas and will be presented by Vanderpool-Wallace during the first day of the conference. It is, he said, a “living document which lists the commitment of all Bahamians to delivering quality service among the strategic advertising and product development initiatives essential to the success of tourism in the country.
The principal illustration of this marriage of service excellence and tourism growth is the scheduling of the Eighth Annual Cacique Awards to conclude this important week of activities, said Cacique coordinator Nalini Bethel. Nomination forms for the awards ceremony are now available at all Tourism Offices and the nomination process is open to the general public, she said.
In addition to the awards for outstanding achievement in the tourism industry, the show will also feature a new kind of musical element, said Entertainment Consultant to the Ministry of Tourism, Fred Ferguson. ” What we have planned will ultimately be an event that will appeal to all of the senses, and to people from every walk of life,” he said. “For the upcoming Cacique Awards, we will feature the best in Bahamian music with a People’s Choice Song of the Year Competition. We anticipate the full support of the general public in recognizing the local entertainers who have contributed so richly to our culture in 2003.
All songs performed in the Bahamian style that were released from November 2002 to November 2003 will be eligible for entry, said Ferguson, defining “Bahamian style” as goombay/rake-and-scrape and Junkanoo. Vanderpool-Wallace added that a special category for recognizing Bahamian-style gospel and inspirational songs would be included, “in keeping with the Ministry of Tourism’s thrust on attracting international religious conferences, and acknowledging spirituality as an important part of Bahamian culture.”
The Cacique Awards began in 1995 as an eighth-year follow up to the Bahamas Hotel Association’s annual recognition ceremony. The new programme amalgamated the BHA awards with a new generation of National Tourism Awards and added to the Hotelier, Manager, Chef, Casino Executive, and Employee-of-the-Year categories nine others that would honour a wider cross-section of Bahamians whose products or performance have consistently had a positive impact on the quality development of Bahamian tourism.
Since 1995 awards have been presented in the areas of nature tourism; handicraft; creative arts; transportation; sports and leisure; and human resources development; as well as a Special Award for an individual, organisation or group that has developed an innovative tourist attraction; the Lifetime Achievement Award for an individual who has made consistently outstanding contributions to the growth of tourism for 20 years or more; and the Minister’s Award for a person who has exemplified Bahamian hospitality through genuine friendliness and concern toward visitors.
Individuals may nominate as many persons as they wish for as many categories as are applicable. To be eligible for the awards, nominees must be residents of The Bahamas.
Nomination forms and complete Cacique Awards information, including guidelines and categories may be collected from the Ministry of Tourism and all Bahamas Tourist offices or accessed online at www.caciqueawards.com.
The deadline for submission is Dec.15.
