[Fwd: CARIBBEAN: "Butch" Stewart Salutes Community Tourism Pioneer]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: CARIBBEAN: "Butch" Stewart Salutes Community Tourism Pioneer
Date: 9 Aug 2002 13:55:38 -0000
From: SCherrouk@counterpart.org
To: tourism-newswire@sidsnet.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Samira Cherrouk
         202 721-1577 (scherrouk@counterpart.org)

Photographs Available at: http://www.mediaexchange.info/tmp/diana.asp
(See Captions Below)

"BUTCH" STEWART SALUTES COMMUNITY TOURISM PIONEER

JAMAICA, West Indies (August 8, 2002) - Chairman of Air Jamaica and
Sandals Resorts, Gordon "Butch" Stewart has taken his hat off to one of
Jamaica's ardent promoters of community tourism.

Speaking recently at a "Community Tourism" media event at the family-run
Astra Inn hotel in Mandeville, Stewart saluted the work of the
unwavering Diana McIntyre-Pike for her efforts in promoting the
community tourism experience and training Jamaican nationals in the
basics of tourism hospitality.

"Diana is probably one of the most stubborn people that I know," said
Stewart, "because she refuses to allow any barriers to hold her back."
While hailing her pioneering role in preparing communities for the
tourism industry, he said her ability to network and forge ahead is very
impressive.

"Constant tourism education is the reason why visitors are able to walk
the countryside and mix with people with enjoyment and without any
incident."

According to McIntyre-Pike, community tourism is an integrated approach
which embraces all aspects of a community and all aspects of tourism,
including culture, heritage, educational, recreational, spiritual,
adventure and eco-tourism.

At her training programmes, held at the Astra Inn and delivered through
the Sustainable Communities Foundation, students are taught how to
develop their entrepreneurial skills, etiquette, product knowledge and
the basics of business operations. "Visitors are interested in having a
community experience and being educated in the way of life. Therefore,
we must be prepared to welcome visitors in communities that are
hospitable, clean, safe, crime free, drug free, and environmentally
friendly."

McIntyre-Pike thanked Stewart for the endorsement and emphasized that
community tourism advocates are not interested in competing with other
niches within the tourism industry. "We all can work together as a
team," she said.

CAPTIONS:

1) Diana McIntyre-Pike: One of the Caribbean's leading advocates of
community tourism.

2) "Butch" Stewart helps flip some bammi while on a community tour in
Manchester.

ENDS

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Received on Mon Aug 12 00:25:43 2002