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BHTA appoints tourism liaison officer and administrative assistant

by Barbados Today
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The Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA) has appointed two employees to its growing team. They are Sade Deane, Tourism Liaison Officer and Kemuel Burke, Administrative Office Assistant.

Deane brings a wealth of experience in the tourism and business development sectors with emphasis on the environment and sustainability, having previously worked with a climate change organisation and as a Solutions Consultant, providing project management, administrative and corporate social responsibility services.

The holder of a MSc in Tourism with Project Management and a BSc in Tourism Management (Special) from the University of the West Indies (UWI), Deane explained that her new role has been enriching and full of learning opportunities.

She said, “As Tourism Liaison Officer I am responsible for translating external needs into business benefits for our members and assisting with the process of facilitating any internal adjustments or changes necessary to support the industry.

“After my initial assessment over the past few months, we now have a number of programmes planned, some of which we have already started to roll out. These include information and demonstration sessions with stakeholders as well as projects to improve the emergency management response levels among our members, to strengthen our environmental sustainability efforts and to enhance our connections with communities and the non-profit sector.”

Burke, who previously interned with the Association in 2023 while pursuing a BSc in Hospitality and Tourism Management at UWI, is now responsible for enhancing the administrative efficiency of the Association.

He explained that his stint as an intern prepared him for his new position, “Starting as a full-time member of staff has not felt like a new experience but like coming back to work after a weekend away.   From engaging with stakeholders to foster stronger relationships, to assisting with event management, supporting marketing promotions, handling member queries and, of course, managing the day-to-day administrative activities of the Association, the last few months have been both dynamic and rewarding.

“Not only am I contributing to the services the Association provides to its members, but I am also developing my organisational, communication and teamwork skills, while deepening my understanding of the tourism and hospitality industry. I am excited for the opportunity to continue growing and contributing to the BHTA’s success.”

CEO of the BHTA, Ryan Forde stated, “We are thrilled to welcome Sade and Kemuel to the team as they have both added strengths to areas that we were previously operating at a weakness, due to the limitation of resources of skillset and manpower.

“Sade’s experience and diligence allowed us to address many challenges and concerns alongside our public sector partners across varying ministerial and NGO agencies especially with reference to water, waste disposal, hurricane preparedness and reaction to storm impact as well as agriculture, to name a few. This allows the business community to have areas addressed quicker and lend assistance to the government agencies programmes to help build resilience.

“Kemuel has really stood out for his energy and enthusiasm as a younger member of the team, coupled with his experience gained from training in the industry while studying. His internship allowed us to be exposed to his willingness to learn, to communicate a newer vision of Tourism of the future and to also be essential in supporting the team, our members and the industry as a whole, on a day to day basis.” (PR)

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