Long standing tourism and travel trade executive, Carrole Guntley has been awarded the coveted Caribbean Tourism Organization’s (CTO) Lifetime Achievement Award. Ms. Guntley received the award Friday, June 6, 2014, during CTO’s Caribbean Week in New York activities. Minister of tourism and entertainment, Dr. Wykeham McNeill has congratulated the former director general in the ministry saying her work and dedication to Jamaica’s tourism industry as well the wider Caribbean region is exemplary. He said Ms Guntley was a most deserving candidate for this special award. In his tribute, the minister said: the award is testimony to her long and distinguished service in the industry, having served in the private and public sectors in a variety of capacities: Area Manager for Jamaica, St. Maarten & Western Caribbean for BWIA, European Marketing Manager for the Caribbean Tourism Organisation, Jamaica’s first female director of tourism and more recently director general in the ministry of tourism and entertainment. “It was during her tenure in the late eighties as Jamaica’s director of tourism that the island achieved the landmark target of hosting one million visitors. Over the years Ms. Guntley has demonstrated an insight which I am confident will continue to be of benefit to the region. Her accomplishments over the past few decades span not only the airline and accommodation sectors, where she has consistently demonstrated great vision and perseverance, but have been admired by the Jamaican government as well as industry colleagues.” Dr McNeill commend her for her “hard work, high standards and true commitment to the hospitality industry”. He said: “Once again, I am very pleased to extend my sincere congratulations on this prestigious and most deserving award.”
