Got TIPS or BREAKING NEWS? Please call 1-284-442-8000 direct/can also WhatsApp same number or Email ALL news to:newsvino@outlook.com;                               ads call 1-284-440-6666

Hon Luce D. Hodge-Smith named CTO's Minister/Commissioner of Tourism of the Year

- Awards presented @ Caribbean Week in New York
Hon Luce D. Hodge-Smith (R4), Junior Minister of Tourism and Culture for the Virgin Islands (right), accepts the 2026 Minister of Tourism of the Year Award from Dona Regis-Prosper, Secretary-General and CEO of CTO, during the Caribbean Women in Tourism Leadership Awards in New York. Photo: CTO
Attendees, award recipients and Hall of Fame inductees gather for a group photo during CTO’s third annual Caribbean Women in Tourism Leadership Awards at InterContinental New York Times Square during Caribbean Week in New York. Photo: CTO
Attendees, award recipients and Hall of Fame inductees gather for a group photo during CTO’s third annual Caribbean Women in Tourism Leadership Awards at InterContinental New York Times Square during Caribbean Week in New York. Photo: CTO
New York, USA – Honourable Luce D. Hodge-Smith (R4), the Junior Minister for Tourism and Culture for the Virgin Islands, has been honoured with the title of Minister/Commissioner of Tourism of the Year at the Caribbean Tourism Organisation's (CTO) third annual Caribbean Women in Tourism Leadership Awards.

The ceremony took place on Monday, June 1, 2026, during Caribbean Week in New York at the InterContinental New York Times Square.

Hodge-Smith was one of two distinguished Caribbean tourism officials recognised at the awards.

According to a release from the CTO, Andrea Franklin, the Chief Executive Officer of Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. and Chair of the CTO Board of Directors, was named Director of Tourism of the Year for 2026.

Caribbean Tourism professionals voted 

This award was determined by votes from fellow tourism professionals across the region.

The CTO’s awards programme celebrates individuals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, contributed to destination development, strengthened Caribbean tourism, and served as role models for future generations of women entering the sector.

The Secretary-General’s Distinguished Service Award was presented to Dr Lisa Indar, the Executive Director of the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA).

She was recognised for her significant role in promoting healthier and safer tourism environments while advancing sustainable tourism practices throughout the Caribbean.

Leave a Reply



Create a comment


Submit comment

Create a comment

Submit comment
Disclaimer: Virgin Islands News Online (VINO) welcomes your thoughts, feedback, views, bloggs and opinions. However, by posting a blogg you are agreeing to post comments or bloggs that are relevant to the topic, and that are not defamatory, liable, obscene, racist, abusive, sexist, anti-Semitic, threatening, hateful or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be excluded permanently from making contributions. Please view our declaimer above this article. We thank you in advance for complying with VINO's policy.

Follow Us On

Disclaimer: All comments posted on Virgin Islands News Online (VINO) are the sole views and opinions of the commentators and or bloggers and do not in anyway represent the views and opinions of the Board of Directors, Management and Staff of Virgin Islands News Online and its parent company.