THE CARIBBEAN HONOURS CANADIAN MEDIA DURING CARIBBEAN WEEK TORONTO

TORONTO, Canada, August 25, 2008 – The Caribbean Tourism Development Company (CTDC) will host an inaugural awards ceremony to honour Canadian media for their exemplary editorial coverage of the region as part of Caribbean Week Toronto 2008 (www.caribbeanweek.ca) September 24-26, 2008.

The awards will be announced on Thursday, September 25 during the Media Marketplace and Caribbean Awards Luncheon at the Westin Harbour Castle Hotel in Toronto honoring the best of the best print, Web and broadcast stories and photography from Canadian-based media that have truly captured the essence of the Caribbean in their storytelling. Media Award categories include: Best Feature Article in a Consumer Newspaper; Best Feature Article in a Consumer Magazine; Best Feature Article in a Trade Publication; Best Online Feature; Best Feature Broadcast; and Best Photograph in Conjunction with a Feature Article.

“The continued demand for Caribbean vacations is in no small part due to the beautifully written and insightful journalism that captures the Caribbean spirit, hospitality, and natural landscape for the audience,” said Hugh Riley, co-chief operating officer for CTDC. “It is an honour to recognize those journalists and simply tell them how grateful we are that they share our passion for this region.”

Nominations for the Media Awards will be submitted by National Tourist Offices however, media individuals are welcome to submit their work directly. A panel of judges from the hospitality, literary and media fields will judge each submission based on the following criteria:

· Submissions will be accepted by Canadian-based media who contribute to Canadian media outlets

· Both English and French language submissions are welcome

· Publication of the work must have been between the dates of January 1, 2007 – August 29, 2008

· Maximum of two entries per person, per award

· All entries must be submitted by Friday, August 29, 2008 at 5:00 p.m. EST

· Media submissions should showcase creativity and thoughtful knowledge of the Caribbean region with a provocative story angle

Caribbean Week Toronto 2008, themed Secrets of the Caribbean, brings together the most influential policy makers, financial leaders, marketing professionals and tourism industry officials to interact and discuss both tourism and investment opportunities in the region. It also serves to provide a taste of the region to consumers to inspire travel and showcase its diversity. In addition to the Awards Luncheon, a variety of distinctive events highlighting the Caribbean experience will take place including a Caribbean Travel Conference, Town Hall Meetings, a Media Marketplace, Caribbean Fair and Rum & Rhythm Festival.

For more information about Caribbean Week Toronto 2008, to register for all events and to purchase tickets, visit: www.caribbeanweek.ca or call 416-935-0767 to speak to a representative from the Caribbean Tourism Development Company.



SPONSORS



Sponsors of this year’s Caribbean Week Toronto include Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, the Bahamas, the Cayman Islands, Discover Dominica, Dreamscapes, InPulse Magazine, Jamaica, Occidental Hotels, ScotiaBank, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and Grenadines, Toronto Star, TravelWeek, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos and the U.S. Virgin Islands.



All CTDC events are supported by American Express, Puerto Rico and Travelocity.



The Caribbean Tourism Development Company

The Caribbean Tourism Development Company (CTDC) is a marketing and business development unit, owned equally by the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA) and the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO). Its mission is to own, promote, protect, advance and enhance the Caribbean brand. The CTDC combines the resources of the Caribbean region’s destinations, accommodations and service providers to create a viable, cohesive, business unit that is able to identify commercial opportunities and allow the members of CHTA and CTO to benefit collectively from those opportunities in ways that individually they could not. In all its endeavors the company engages only in activities that honor the Caribbean brand.



Media Contact

Terence Gallagher/Anna Lagos

Lou Hammond & Associates

(212) 308-8880

terryg@lhammond.com / annal@lhammond.com