MIAMI, United States (CMC) — The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association Education Foundation (CHTAEF) on Saturday launched its annual Caribbean Travel Auction on National Make a Difference Day. 

According to CHTAEF, this year’s fundraiser includes more than US$100,000 in prizes from over 30 Caribbean hotels and resorts with proceeds aimed at changing Caribbean hospitality professionals’ lives and careers. 

Auction winners will receive spectacular Caribbean vacations, ranging from luxury resorts to one-of-a-kind boutique hotels and ecolodges. 

“Despite a challenging 18 months, our hotels have generously donated to our 2021 Travel Auction to provide us with an amazing array of experiences from all over the Caribbean,” said CHTAEF Chair Karolin Troubetzkoy. 

“This fundraiser, combined with our new raffles and the support of our strategic partners, helps fund the programs that make a difference in the lives of the region’s tourism professionals.” 

Troubetzkoy said the fundraiser enables the CHTA Education Foundation to develop and enhance programs to support professional development at all levels of the career spectrum. 

She said proceeds from the foundation’s fundraisers provide scholarships to the next generation of hospitality professionals.

CHTAEF said past recipients have gone on to study at some of the most prestigious institutions around the globe, including Cornell University, The Culinary Institute of America, Florida International University, Johnson & Wales University, Les Roches and the University of the West Indies. 

Additionally, CHTAEF said the foundation continues to develop programs that support the professional development of current industry personnel. 

It said these include on-island training courses, which focus on operational and customer service training to energise and empower staff in real-time. 

CHTAEF said the courses have reached more than 900 staff members in nearly a dozen destinations since 2019.

Last month, CHTAEF partnered with internationally-recognised Les Roches to offer a new advancement initiative, the Caribbean Professional Development Programme that participants with the knowledge, tools and credentials to advance into General Manager positions within two to three years. 

The 2021 Auction runs from October 23, 2021 to November 16, 2021.