As a hotel owner and former regional airline executive Allan Chastanet recently started another chapter in his long association with the tourism industry when he was named as St Lucia’s new Minister of Tourism.
Chastanet was among persons from outside the political arena selected to serve in the Cabinet of Prime Minister Sir John Compton’s whose United Workers Party swept the St Lucia Labour Party from office in the December 11 General Election.
The new minister is owner and, until his appointment as minister, was managing director of Coco Resorts, but Sir John said he did not see this interest in the sector as a conflict, but an incentive from which the entire industry would benefit.
“He also has the portfolio of civil aviation so he can bring in the planes to fill the hotels,” Sir John said.
“Mr. Chastenet has demonstrated the vision to see the road ahead and to prepare us for the challenges which we will inevitably meet in this fiercely competitive world. St. Lucia may be beautiful, but we must realise that we are not the only pebble on the beach, and to meet the competition we must mobilise the best brains and our resources,” the Prime Minister added.
Chastanet himself said he agreed with the political leader that his association with the industry would be a help to the island and not a hindrance to performing effectively.
"I am really there to set policy and policy that will benefit the nation and not policy that will benefit any one property," the former Director of Tourism told reporters.
From 1995 to 2003, he was Air Jamaica's VP for Marketing and Sales. Before joining the airline, he was sales and marketing director for Island Outpost and its 11 hotels in Miami's South Beach, Jamaica, and elsewhere in the Caribbean.
His most recent appointment was as President of the St. Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association (SLHTA).
Today's Date is: Sat, 17 May 2008 23:11:54
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