Former VI Tourism Director Beverly Nicholson Doty received the Secretary General’s Merit Award at the Caribbean Tourism Organisation Women’s Leadership Awards.
Nicholson-Doty was one of several women in the industry to receive a lifetime achievement award as part of Caribbean Week in New York. The award was presented at a breakfast and awards ceremony titled “Queens of the Caribbean: Honoring the Women Shaping the Future of Caribbean Tourism” held at the InterContinental New York Times Square on Sunday.
According to a CTO statement, the ceremony brought together tourism directors and ministers from CTO member states and regions, their team members and other tourism executives.
“The awards ceremony celebrated the contributions of outstanding women who have had a profound impact on the development and progress of Caribbean tourism,” said CTO Executive Director and CEO Donna Regis Prosper.
Nicholson-Doty, currently CEO of Miami-based advertising agency Figment Design, was presented with a special award by Regis Prosper Inc., which “honors a tourism professional with 20 or more years of work experience who has made outstanding contributions to the local tourism industry and provided inspiring support to other women in the industry.”
Nicholson-Doty served eight years in the administrations of Governor John DeJong Jr. and Governor Greg Francis and has the honor of being the only remaining member from those administrations to serve in the new administration of Governor Kenneth Mapp and Lt. Governor Osbert Potter.
According to a statement from the CTO, Nicholson-Doty has been an industry leader for more than 30 years and previously served as CEO of the Saint Lucia Tourism Board, where he oversaw the development of the agency’s marketing, destination services and general management.
“From 2007 to 2018, she served as tourism director for the U.S. Virgin Islands Tourism Board, where she led marketing, sales and strategic planning activities for travel, tourism and hospitality in the territory, and created partnership opportunities with public agencies, private businesses, nonprofits, non-governmental organizations and community-based organizations,” the release said.
Also honoured at the ceremony was Valérie Damasção, Saint-Martin’s Commissioner for Tourism and Culture, who received the Minister of Tourism’s Award, an award selected by tourism ministers and commissioners to recognise a colleague who has achieved outstanding results in their role.
Petra Roach, CEO of the Grenada Tourism Board, received the Tourism Director’s Award. Recipients are selected by their peers and the award recognises visionary leadership, destination growth and contributions to the community.
“The Women’s Leadership Awards were created out of the need to recognize the important role of women in tourism in the Caribbean. In nearly every area of our industry, the contributions of women have been essential to moving the sector forward and elevating it to the highest level,” said Regis Prosper. “Women make up a significant portion of the tourism workforce in the Caribbean and their leadership is needed not only to grow the sector, but also to inspire and empower future generations of female leaders.”
During the event, described as an “intimate breakfast event,” keynote speaker Audrey Irvine, senior director of CNN’s New Source Newsgatherings, delivered a powerful speech in which she shared her personal journey and career successes and challenges.
The Women’s Leadership Awards ceremony also featured an inspiring speech by Rosa Harris, Chairperson of the CTO Board of Directors and Director of Tourism for the Cayman Islands, and was sponsored by the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Board and Diamond International.
The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investment and Aviation was the main sponsor of Caribbean Week in New York. Gold sponsors included the U.S. Virgin Islands Ministry of Tourism, the Cayman Islands Ministry of Tourism and Experience Turks and Caicos Islands.
Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Board, Jamaica Tourism Board and Sandals Resorts International were silver sponsors, while ADARA – A RateGain Company was the bronze sponsor. Other sponsors include Barbados Tourism Marketing Co., Caribbean Media Exchange, Diamond International, Marketplace Excellence and S’Aimer NYC, according to the release.
