Prime Minister P.J. Patterson will be presented with the Distinguished Service Award at the 32nd Annual Governments of the Caribbean State Ball, at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York City, on Friday, June 3.
The award is being conferred by the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) and will bring to a close Caribbean Week 2005.
Caribbean Week is a series of meetings attended by all categories of CTO’s membership including ministers and directors of tourism, chapter presidents and allied members representing airlines, hoteliers, tour wholesalers, travel agents and other interested parties, who come together to discuss ways to increase and sustain tourism to and within the region.
“Prime Minister Patterson is being honored with the Distinguished Service Award for his many years of service to the promotion of the Caribbean as the world’s premier warm weather tourism destination,” noted Pamela C. Richards, Commissioner of Tourism for the U.S. Virgin Islands and Chair of CTO. The CTO will also present the Lifetime Achievement Award to Professor Carlos A. Diago of Puerto Rico. The award for excellence will be presented to newspaper publisher Dr. Karl Rodney, CEO of the New York Carib News, a weekly tabloid.
From the celebration of the region’s diverse spiritual heritage to the hosting of the exquisite and glitzy State Ball, thousands of New Yorkers will get a first hand feel of life in the tropics during the week of May 29 to June 4. “Caribbean Week 2005 brings a true taste of our region’s vivacious flavors, rhythms and culture to the city that never sleeps. We welcome New Yorkers and tourists alike, anticipating a fantastic series of events, most of which are easily accessible and complimentary,” said Hugh Riley, CTO’s Director of Marketing for the Americas.
A series of consumer focused events designed to generate interest among the general public, will take place at such noted locations as the St. George’s Episcopal Church on Manhattan’s East side, the South Street Seaport (Pier 16, Manhattan), The New York Hilton Hotel, midtown Manhattan and the world famous Apollo Theatre, Harlem.
The Barbados based CTO is the Caribbean’s tourism development agency and comprises membership of more than 30 governments and a myriad of private sector entities. The organization provides specialized support and technical assistance to member countries in the areas of marketing, human resource development, research and information technology and sustainable development.
