Emil Lee: Princess Heights Hotel and New CHTA Initiatives
Emil Lee, a prominent figure in the hospitality industry and politics, shares insights on his journey in Princess Heights Hotel, Atlas Construction Company, and the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA). He reflects on his diverse background and political endeavors, highlighting the evolution of CHTA from a traditional hierarchy to a disruptive force in tourism. As he navigates the competitive landscape and challenges facing the industry, Emil Lee emphasizes the importance of innovation and adaptability in the changing environment.
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Presentation Transcript
Introduction Emil Lee Princess Heights Hotel/ Atlas Construction Company. SHTA 13 years 1stVP and President CHTA Politician Ideally back to SHTA
In race for 15 Parliamentary seats, 3rdon my party. 12thout of 89 candidates. Not bad for a Chinese American, that grew up in a Jewish neighborhood, on an island half French and half Dutch, married to a German woman raised in Venezuela.
New CHTA Disrupting Tourism Belief that all members are interested in 3 things, which haven t changed. But how we deliver on those needs have changed. (kodak Moment) -Make More Money (legal and socially responsible manner) -Save Money by increasing efficiency and productivity -Network and have fun. CHIEF - Caribbean Hospitality Industry Exchange Forum CHIEF will draw on some of the most successful elements of CHIC and the small hotels retreat but it will also be adding educational seminars where our allied members will be teaching our hotels practical money saving tips and revenue generating strategies such as Marketplace Marketplace is in the process of evolving into an event focused on increasing revenue. So in addition to the traditional conference, we will be adding seminars aimed at helping hotels to supplement revenues by increasing direct bookings and yield management strategies. CTDC or Caribbean Tourism Development Company CHTA has the right team in place.
Operating in a difficult Environment Why Study when Columbus discovered America? Competition for Attention smart phones, ipads, laptops, facebook. Even TV is no longer relevant Individual consumption has become more personalized than ever. Information, products, entertainment. Everything is being challenged. No Loyalty Only natural . Is CHTA or BHA relevant?
Certainly there are many things you can do yourself You can take and use like never before. youtube You can buy almost anything on line. amazon You can communicate more effectively and faster than ever before. Facebook, twitter You have unparalleled access to information. google However .. Look at the fundamental issues that affect Caribbean Tourism.
The fundamental that affect our industry cannot be solved alone. - CHTA must boldly offer thought leadership and search for the LCD - Affordable Airlift to our destinations - APD - Energy Management - Climate Change - Tourism infrastructure Education, Labor, tourism promotion, cost of doing business - Maintaining Authenticity, cultural heritage. - Yield management- tour operator dependence - VRBO Airbnb -- Level playing field. - Open and transparent government. Most important
Dandelion Hub and Spoke Much can be achieved thru Cross pollinating Sharing Best and Worst Practices -- Energy Efficiency and Conservation -- Marketing Techniques, Channel yield mngt Net Metering- Energy Policies Curacao Power generation plants Power Purchase Agreements Data Mining - Indusa Global Visa Policy Environmental protection. Development policy
Building a Caribbean Tourism Community Develop Strategic Partners Business to Business Partners. Mastercard, Travelzoo Regional Partnerships with Non Profits CTO, Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) Carbon War Room. Department of Energy However, the key to success is partnership with Government .
Disclaimer This is not Antigua specific. This is based on my personal experiences and observations. Take away what you believe is relevant and valuable for your situation.
Partnership 3 critical ingredients: Trust Dialogue Common goals (with clear metrics)
Wife Shared values and sense of humor Smart, sexy and fun Beautiful son together While we share a vision for our future, we may disagree on the path to get there ie. playschool Agree that our futures are linked together. We are better together than apart. Most importantly..We have common objectives and agree on the metrics for measuring progress. Herein lies the issue with PPP
Issue with PPP Clear need for public/private partnership. We have the same goal but different definitions for success. Private sector: motivated by revenue and profit, which depends on a healthy economy. Public Sector: motivated by job creation, pubic perception and votes, which also depend on a healthy economy. But
Currency In business, the currency is money, if they don t see enough money, they go out of business. In politics, the currency is votes, if they don t see enough votes, they go out of business. -handing out of government assets/licenses GM compensation based on staff satisfaction and not financial health of company Enron/Bear Stearns Compensation based on stock performance instead of long term financial health If we entered politics, (gov not same as politics) we might behave the same. Even if honest and true, to be effective, you need political clout.
Politicians- Critical to understand the environment. Ability to support constituents is critical. Surrendering authority = reduced favors to supporters STA- 15+ years Less Budget discretion = less ability to steer resources to best political outcome Public/Private entities have more transparency and accountability = reduced ability to place people in jobs or hand out contracts 100 votes x$300 = $30,000 Yearly salary $120,000
Mission of every NHTA NHTA s will have a real voice when the voting population understands what steps are necessary to stimulate and manage the tourism industry, our main economic driver, in order to fund our infrastructural and social development as a mechanism to improve the quality of life for the entire population. A vibrant tourism industry is good for my quality of life.
So, where to begin? Politicians will not change. Alignment of goals and measurement of success. Supporters/non supporters/swing/ donor Approach should be same as a political campaign. Dialogue Don t assume government understands business, especially tourism. (campaign example) Campaign song. Postitioning strategy Trust/Respect Hard to build trust. St Maarten Environment.
Adjust Message Target the currency. Target the voters. Not everyone understands tourism Safety and Security- we need security because the tourists won t come. we want our family and children to live in a safe community Caribbean Report Card. SHTA: By making SXM a great place to live, by default we will make it a great place to visit.
Seasonality By Addressing the highly seasonal nature of our business we will: Create year round employment Improved profitability which translates in to expansion projects, secondary business for restaurants, taxi, bus etc,
Improved tourism receipts Improved tourism revenue translates into higher government revenue. Higher government revenue (spent well) translates into more social benefits.
Economic/social improvement Economic and social improvement must go hand in hand. Message from tourism industry must reflect that understanding. Help connect the dots.
Transparency and Integrity Improvements in Transparency, Integrity and accountability are critical to the success of tourism. Budgeting process Job placement profiles, descriptions, applicants Make policy and issuance of licenses public record. Ie bus, taxi, vending. Revised procurement procedures
Great websites www.opengovpartnership.org www.opengovguide.com www.transparency.org www.internationalbudget.org
Emil and St Maarten Naturally, you would expect with all this wisdom, St Maarten must have great PPP structure. Update. If all else fails, change the players. If NHTA is obstacle, change player. If government is obstacle, put knowledgeable business people into government.
