On January 16, 2004, Alejandro Sinibaldi was appointed director of the Guatemalan Tourism Institute (INGUAT) by the administration of President Oscar Berger Perdomo, a position that´s up to par with his country´s Tourism Minister. In an exclusive interview with Caribbean News Digital in Madrid, Mr. Sinibaldi recounts his years as a businessman, a graduate of Enterprise Management and his decade-old experience in the field of tourist company management and leadership, especially in hotels. He´s a member of the Guatemala Hotelier Foundation (FUNGUAT), an organization that advocates for Guatemala as a solid travel destination through hotel incentives and with a view to increase the inflow of visitors to the nation. Mr. Sinibaldi cites the foundation of the Tourism Cabinet as one of the main accomplishments of his six-month tenure as INGUAT chief. The Cabinet, made up of high-ranking administration officials, is joining efforts to turn the leisure industry into a key player in Gu

Mr. Pesquera has just been appointed director of the Aruba Hotelier Association. His new position has sparked off a positive trend toward the future as far as the island’s potential entry into the incentive market is concerned. He’s also pitched a hand in opening a new way of understanding Aruba’s marketing overseas. Mr. Pesquera spoke about his experiences and future plans in an exclusive interview with Caribbean News Digital.

Within the framework of Cuba’s 24th International Tourism Convention, Caribbean News Digital also made room for Flora & Fauna, given the entity’s major role in the development of nature tourism on the island. Flora & Fauna Deputy Director Loretta Garcia talks about the group’s outlay and new projects in the offing. She also refers to the widening of Flora & Fauna’s functions and to how proud they are of having Sancti Spiritu play host to 2004 TURNAT, penciled in as Cuba’s Nature Tourism event and scheduled to kick off in September. Mrs. Garcia says the event is raising some big expectations about the need to diversify Cuba’s tourist product.

From June 6 through 9 this year, Havana will host the first edition of the International Rum Festival. In an exclusive interview with Caribbean News Digital, Regla Jimenez, chairwoman of the Organizing Committee, explained the event will serve as a perfect setting for exchanges among distillers, distributors, retailers, barmen and friends from around the world linked in any way to the realm of rum and its culture. Mrs. Jimenez indicated as many as eight new Cuban-made rum brands will be unveiled to the international market after faring pretty well among domestic consumers: Cubay, Santiago, Mulata, Santero, Varadero, Caney , Legendario and Arechabala. Havana Club, the flagship brand of Cuban spirits that has made a name of its own in the world market, will claim its share of the limelight, too. The festival´s program includes a theoretical session to be attended by boldface names in the industry that will broach some major aspects, plus an international cocktail contest in the classical

Within the framework of Cuba’s 24th International Tourism Convention, Mr. Riley talked exclusively with Caribbean News Digital about Guatemala’s lately tourism takeoff and pointed to CATA as the body that will help give the destination a strategic niche in the European market. He also referred to the possibilities of piecing together a joint strategy to further put Central America on the world travel map. Likewise, he mentioned some of the concerns and initiatives launched by the new Guatemalan administration in an effort to make the country’s leisure industry a major source of hard-currency money. Finally, he stressed on the need to combine endeavors –like the merger between Air Madrid and Aladatour- as a key factor in strengthening Central America’s stance as a travel destination.

In an exclusive interview during Cuba’s 24th International Tourism Convention, Jose Brichs Sala, corporate marketing director for Barceló, the Spain’s first-string hotel chain, speaks to Caribbean News Digital about the company’s expansion and strengthening in Latin America and the Caribbean. At the same time, Mr. Sala is really upbeat about tourism’s growing numbers around the world at a time when lots of countries are staging clear-cut comebacks in that field, including Germany, the region’s top tourist-sending market. Mr. Sala also touches on Barceló’s ongoing investment makeover in both the short and the long run. Last but not least, he talks about the partnership between Barceló and British group First Choice, and lets CND in on possible negotiations in the offing that will eventually benefit the company.