SHTA Congratulates Sanovnik Destang with Election as CHTA President 2024-2026

The St. Maarten Hospitality & Trade Association (SHTA) has sent a congratulatory message on behalf of the association to the newly elected president of the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA), Mr Sanovnik Destang.

With SHTA’s support, Mr Destang was elected as the next association president during the regional organization’s Annual General Meeting of December 2023. His appointment was confirmed at CHTA’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) over the past weeks.

SHTA is the representative of St. Maarten in the CHTA board, which will be presided by Mr Destang over the upcoming two years. In its congratulatory message SHTA stated to have trust in a successful two year term given fruitful previous binational cooperations and his long standing involvement in the Caribbean association. SHTA and SLHTA have long had a cordial and close relationship, also outside the CHTA platform. Many recent bilateral information exchanges and meetings in person directly involved Mr Destang, leading to high expectations of his upcoming regional leadership.

Mr Destang is the first CHTA president born in the 1980s and one of the younger CHTA presidents till date, but already boasts a proven track record of CHTA board membership and volunteerism since 2012. In addition, Mr Destang was president of the St. Lucia Hospitality & Tourism Association (SLHTA). During his tenure, he adressed important topics like the sharing economy, taxation and alternative energy. Recently, Mr Destang presided over a CHTA committee looking into the effects of Artificial Intelligence on Caribbean tourism. SHTA looks forward to continued discussion of these themes on a regional level, as they directly affect St. Maarten as well.

Mr Destang is Executive Director of family-owned chain Bay Gardens Resorts of St. Lucia. The St. Lucian entrepreneur succeeds President Nicola Madden-Greig from Jamaica, who will remain available for advice as immediate past president. SHTA thanks her for her regional tourism leadership over the past challenging years, in the wake of the global pandemic.