Puerto Rican hotelier now heads CHTA

General Manager of Puerto Rico’s Caribe Hilton Hotel, Pablo Jose Torres Sojo, has been elected president of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA).

The veteran hospitality industry official takes over from Barbados hotelier Patricia Affonso-Dass, who served in the position for the past two years.

During the CHTA annual general meeting, which took place virtually last Friday, Affonso-Dass pledged her continued support.

Torres, who has a long and distinguished relationship with hotel and tourism associations in the region, previously served as CHTA’s fifth vice-president and was a member of the association’s executive committee.

A former director and vice president for the Bahamas Hotel and Tourism Association, Torres also served for over two years as chairman of the board of the Puerto Rico Hotel and Tourism Association and leads its General Managers and Owners Committee
“I am confident that working collectively as one, we will see our sector and the region’s main economic driver emerge from this crisis much stronger, much like we saw Puerto Rico’s tourism industry make a dramatic comeback following Hurricane Maria,” he said.

A bilingual (Spanish and English), Torres has over 31 years in the industry and has held a number of key leadership positions throughout the Caribbean and Latin America. He will serve as CHTA president for the next two years. (PR)