BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) — The Barbados-based Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) today announced that Bonita Morgan, its director of resource mobilisation and development, had died in the United States, where she was undergoing treatment for cancer.

Morgan, 61, who had been with the CTO since 1996, was a consummate professional who had a profoundly positive impact on those with whom she worked or interacted, and touched hearts in the most fundamental ways, the CTO said in a statement.

“Her calm and comforting demeanour, her penchant for providing a listening ear, her respect for colleagues, her welcoming embrace, and her selflessness were exemplary.

“A hard-working, dedicated and committed member of the CTO family, Bonita had a great passion for the development of Caribbean youth and world class service, and she dedicated the best part of her working life to helping release the potential of Caribbean people through education, training and professional development,” the CTO said.

It said she had introduced many impactful projects and programmes during her tenure at the CTO, including the development of harmonised curricula for the associate degree tourism/hospitality programme across the region, tourism education materials for primary and secondary schools, and showcasing careers in tourism through a variety of media.

The CTO said that throughout her battle with cancer, Morgan, who died last Friday, displayed her characteristic determination and bravery.

“Never was her spirit crushed, her will weakened or her resolved shattered. She faced the challenge without a complaint and with an upbeat attitude. But that was Bonita through and through – always positive, always believing.

“Her passing is a tremendous loss, not just to the Caribbean Tourism Organization, but to the entire Caribbean region, and we all will miss her perspective, knowledge and her deep understanding of tourism and human capital development,” the CTO said.