A week and a half ago we had the opportunity to visit Bermuda for the first time as per the Annual Caribbean Hotel and Investment Conference, which we have been covering profusely on CDN. As expected, the organization of the event was the best. The food was supreme. The tourism board very professional, but we need to confess that getting in touch with the VIPs was not an easy thing to do.

A week and a half ago we had the opportunity to visit Bermuda for the first time as per the Annual Caribbean Hotel and Investment Conference, which we have been covering profusely on CDN. As expected, the organization of the event was the best. The food was supreme. The tourism board very professional, but we need to confess that getting in touch with the VIPs was not an easy thing to do.

For quite a number of years, Hugh Riley acted as Marketing Director for the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) until he was appointed Interim Secretary General following the departure of Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace and the passing of Arley Sobers. In this exclusive interview with Caribbean News Digital in Bermuda, where he attended the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Investment Conference (CHTIC), this seasoned industry professional talked about what his organization’s upcoming Caribbean Week in New York and the second Caribbean Tourism Summit slated for Washington DC, both events in the month of June, as well all major challenges for the region in terms of marketing and opportunities amid the ongoing financial crisis.

For quite a number of years, Hugh Riley acted as Marketing Director for the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) until he was appointed Interim Secretary General following the departure of Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace and the passing of Arley Sobers. In this exclusive interview with Caribbean News Digital in Bermuda, where he attended the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Investment Conference (CHTIC), this seasoned industry professional talked about what his organization’s upcoming Caribbean Week in New York and the second Caribbean Tourism Summit slated for Washington DC, both events in the month of June, as well all major challenges for the region in terms of marketing and opportunities amid the ongoing financial crisis.

Caribbean News Digital’s special reporter in Bermuda covered the two-day sessions of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Investment Conference (CHTIC 2009) and talked with John Maginley, Antigua and Barbuda’s new Minister of Tourism, about the challenge of his new position and the plans he has in store as chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organization for the upcoming Second Tourism Summit in the U.S. and the Caribbean Week.

SuperClubs, one of the most successful hotel brands in the Caribbean with a 30-year-plus experience in the industry, is defying the economic uncertainty with innovative ideas and far more expansion in the region and beyond. Quite recently the company tapped Paul Pennicook, a veteran of Air Jamaica and former Tourism Director for Jamaica, as president of International Lifestyle –SuperClubs’ worldwide representative. In this exclusive interview with Caribbean News Digital, Mr. Pennicook talks about the challenges on the road ahead for his company and the plans in store for the near future.