~ Grenadian hotelier Sir Royston Hopkin to be presented with CTO’s Lifetime Achievement Award at Rhythms of the Caribbean Ball at Plaza Hotel in New York ~
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (May 17, 2011) –A virtual lifetime of high performance, dedicated service to his country and the Caribbean, will be rewarded when the international agency responsible for the Caribbean’s tourism development, the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) presents its most prestigious award to one of Grenada’s finest hospitality practitioners.
Sir Royston Hopkin, the successful proprietor, chairman and managing director of the New Spice Island Beach Resort, has been named the CTO’s Lifetime Achievement Awardee for 2011 and will be presented with the award at the Rhythms of the Caribbean Ball at the Plaza Hotel in New York on 10 June.
Sir Royston has a near 50 year record of outstanding service in the hospitality sector, dating back to 1965 when he joined the family business at Ross Point Inn and, at the age of 20, became the youngest person ever appointed to the Grenada Tourist Board.
In the ensuing years, Sir Royston’s contributions have touched almost every sector of the Grenadian society, with his luxury resort employing over 200 people. In addition to being the first Grenadian to be elected president of the Grenada Hotel Association – a position he has held 14 times – Sir Royston established a scholarship fund for needy children from which 110 students have benefitted. He has also worked with the Grenada Union of Teachers and the Ministry of Education, to enlighten teachers about the tourism industry and has hosted 200 teachers and their spouses at his resort for a weekend, to give them an opportunity to understand the hotel component of the industry.
Regionally, Sir Royston has served in various capacities in the Caribbean Hotel Association (now the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association) and founded the Small Hotels Committee, which today is still one of the most important sub-committees of that association. He is also a member of the association’s executive committee and is the current chairman of the Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism (CAST), the largest private sector sustainable organization in the region.
“Sir Royston has been a faithful servant of Grenadian and Caribbean tourism and his dedication has been fully demonstrated through his many outstanding achievements,” said Hugh Riley, the CTO’s secretary general. “We are pleased that he has agreed to accept the Lifetime Achievement Award during our Rhythms of the Caribbean Ball at the Plaza Hotel in New York.”
The CTO Lifetime Achievement Award honours long serving, high performance professionals whose careers have truly made a difference in the Caribbean. The award is for achievement over a period of several years rather than a single contribution. It recognizes achievement that distinguishes the individual’s work and provides a legacy for future generations.
The Ball, which this year combines Caribbean rhythms and hospitality in an elegant blacktie event, is a highlight of Caribbean Week in New York, which features some very exciting new elements this year.
Caribbean Week in New York is supported by Afar Magazine, American Express, Association of Travel Meeting Executives, BRIDES, Caribbean Tales, Carib Vision, Churches United to Save and Heal, Citi Tech Solutions, CTO Foundation, Demetrious, Diamond Noir Collective, Dreamy Weddings, Dwayne Bishop Photography, Empire State Building, Hermies Salon, Hard Beat Communications, Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce, Jamaica, MarryCaribbean, opusseven, Pace University, Performance Media Group, St. George’s Episcopal Church, St. Kitts, Travelocity and the Wall Street Journal . For information on how to purchase tickets for the Ball and for the full Caribbean Week in New York programme, visit www.caribbeanweekny.com.
