Jamaica's Josef Forstmayr Takes Reins As CHTA President

Josef Forstmayr, managing director of Round Hill Hotel and Villas in Montego Bay, Jamaica, W.I., has assumed the presidency of the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA) for a two-year term ending in June 2012.

Following recent meetings with the CHTA executive team and outgoing CHTA President Enrique De Marchena Kaluche, who now takes over the chairmanship of CHTA, Forstmayr outlined the various objectives he wishes to address during his two-year term as president.

Key issues for Forstmayr will be: stimulating membership growth; particularly amongst the region’s new larger chain hotels; providing greater support for the Caribbean Society of Hotel Association Executives (CSHAE) who manage the 35 hotel associations that constitute CHTA’s membership; improving regional linkages between the hotel sector and other Caribbean industries, particularly agriculture; elevating the awareness and international status of Caribbean cuisine and more.

“Since his days as president of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourism Association, I’ve worked very closely with Josef and have found him to be remarkably competent and adept in his approach to hotel marketing and extremely decisive and visionary as an industry leader,” said Alec Sanguinetti, director general and CEO of CHTA, in a written statement. “His ability to integrate local communities in supporting the vision of the hotel and tourism sector in its daily operations has resulted in a greater understanding of the industry and its importance to the economic development of the constituency in which it operates.”

Forstmayr began his career in the fall of 1979 as assistant manager at Coconut Cove in Negril, later moving to the Tryall Golf and Beach Hotel as resident manager. He served as general manager at the Trident Villas and Hotel in Port Antonio, Jamaica, until arriving at his current position as managing director of Round Hill Hotel and Villas in Montego Bay.

Forstmayr held the role of president of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourism Association (JHTA) from June 2001 – 2003. He was voted Caribbean Hotelier of the Year by the CHTA membership in 2007 and currently sits on the Board of Directors for the Jamaica Tourist Board.

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