Tourism Service Excellence Awards to be presented tonight
TEN INDIVIDUALS and 11 properties/organisations will vie for trophies, cash, and other prizes at the prestigious Tourism Service Excellence Award ( TSEA) ceremony slated for tonight at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in St James.
The entrants were selected from 126 nominees, covering the regions of Ocho Rios, Negril, Kingston, the south coast, and Montego Bay.
The semi-finalists, who represent various categories within the i ndustr y, i ncluding accommodation, ground transportation, attractions, and the craft industry, were chosen by a panel of judges based on their performance during 2017 following a series of evaluations and interviews.
The TSEAs seek to recognise individuals and organisations that demonstrate best practices and offer excellent customer service.
Executive Director of the Tourism Product Development Company ( TPDCo) Dr Andrew Spencer said that the TSEAs are a component of the Tourism Ser vice Excellence Awards Programme (TSEAP), which is implemented by TPDCo and financed by the Tourism Enhancement Fund.
He pointed out that the TSEAP aims to select, showcase, and award the best i n ser vice excellence i n order t o establish internal benchmarks for the various business categories in the tourism industry.
The semi-finalists for the individual category are:
■ Kevin Spence – senior air conditioning and refrigeration technician, Beaches Negril
■ Judy Henry Richards – Beaches Resort Ocho Rios
■ Shanique Cunningham – assistant elite services manager, Sandals Royal, Montego Bay
■ Janette Kaloo – wedding and events coordinator, Sunset Resorts and Villas, south coast
■ Lennox Williams – Golden Eye Hotel, Ocho Rios
■ Winston Jones – pool and beach butler, Hyatt Ziva, Montego Bay Hopeton Powell – craft trader, Olde Craft Market, Ocho Rios
■ Michelle Sterling – resor t representative, Amstar DMC, Montego Bay
■ Romaine Meggo – Sandals Negril
■ Mikhailla Robinson – assistant food and beverage manager, The Jamaica Pegasus hotel, Kingston
The semi-finalists for the organisation category are:
■ Chukka Caribbean Adventures – Montego Bay
■ The Judy House – Negril
■ Island Car Rentals – Kingston
■ Sandals Royal Plantation – Ocho Rios
■ Beaches Negril Resort
■ The Courtleigh Hotel and Suites – Kingston
■ Hyatt Ziva/Hyatt Zilara Resort – Montego Bay
■ Sandals Negril Resort
■ Dunn’s River Falls and Park – Ocho Rios
■ Beaches Ocho Rios
■ Sandals South Coast