Rik Blyth, the managing director at Caneel Bay Resort, has been tapped to head up the Virgin Islands Hotel and Tourism Association. He was chosen from among two dozen applicants for the position which counts some 300 hotels and tourism-related businesses as members.
"It’s a great opportunity," Blyth told the Virgin Islands Daily News. he succeeds Beverly Nicholson-Doty who headed the group for 14 years. Blyth said he hopes to be in the job 14 years, too. Nicholson-Doty left the spot when she was named by Gov. John deJongh to head up the islands’ Tourism department.
On his list of things to do, Blyth said, is to encourage more restaurants to participate in the group and to boost St. Croix tourism. The association’s Web site is http://www.virgin-islands-hotels.com/stthomas.htm.
My thought: Both Nicholson and Blyth are experienced and savvy about the importance of tourism to the Islands’ economy. Neither, it appears, have relatives who need jobs. Having these two people involved in boosting tourism, and counseling tourist businesses on island how to do more business by doing business better, is a very good news.