By Kenara Woods

The curtains came down on Tourism Month last Saturday evening at the Cruise Ship Berth as the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Hotel and Tourism Association held its first appreciation and awards reception cocktail.

The event saw a gathering of participants who participated in the Bartender, Chef and Pastry competitions. They all received awards and certificates for their participation. President, Leroy Lewis of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Hotel and Tourism Association (SVGHATA) said that St. Vincent and the Grenadines has the potential to compete but one of the things that need to be worked on is the human aspect of the Tourism product. {{more}}He made mention of the natural resources that this country possesses and opined that we need to utilize them to the fullest.

Chef of the Year went to McLean Sampson of the Raffles Resort, but perhaps the most prestigious honours of the evening were the long service awards. One recipient was Noel Victory.

In an exclusive interview with SEARCHLIGHT, Victory said he started from humble beginnings working as an assistant mason and plumber at the Petit St. Vincent Resort.

“I empowered many people in the industry,” said Victory as he urged people to get more involved in tourism.

He expressed sincerest gratitude to his wife for standing by him over the years.

Victory has been employed in the tourism and hotel industry for over thirty-eight years and at present he is in charge of room service at the resort on Petit St. Vincent. The other recipients of the long service awards were Lloyd Cain and Marcelle Neverson.