Dona Regis-Prosper is leaving her post next month as General Manager of Antigua
Cruise Ports (ACP), the local subsidiary of Global Ports Ltd., to take up an
appointment as Chief Executive Officer of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation
(CTO).
Last week, the CTO announced that Regis-Prosper had been appointed to the post
of Secretary General as well as CEO. She takes up her appointment in September
this year. She tells Point Express that she leaves her post at ACP on August 18,
exactly three years after she was appointed, having been appointed on August 19,
2020, at the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic and all the challenges that it brought
to the cruise sector.
Regis-Prosper said she is pleased with what both she and her team were able to
accomplish during her three-year stint at ACP. Among them was how the port was
able to navigate the challenges brought on by the pandemic and to see the cruise
sector rebound in the way that it has done. This year, the port is on course to
surpass the figures for 2019, considered the best year for cruise tourism in Antigua
and Barbuda.
“Along with what we were able to achieve concerning the pandemic, we were able
to accomplish several significant milestones. For example, we have established
Antigua and Barbuda as a port for homeporting, with all the benefits that this
brings. We have agreements with several of the cruise lines to homeport in St.
John’s and this is for us a significant development,” she explained.
Other noteworthy achievements include introducing port community training in
areas such as port security, customer service, digital marketing, retail management,
and cruise industry fundamentals.
One of her achievements has been to help with establishing Global Ports Ltd, in
Antigua and Barbuda. When the company first signed the agreement for the
management of the cruise ports with the government, the arrangements were mired
in political controversy. As she prepares to leave, the landscape regarding GPL has
changed significantly.
Of her new role, Regis-Prosper, a St. Lucian by birth stated, “I am deeply honored
to have been selected to serve as Secretary General of the CTO and I am grateful
for the trust and confidence the CTO Council of Ministers and Commissioners of
Tourism and the Board of Directors have placed in me. I eagerly look forward to
working with our dedicated team and diverse stakeholders to promote the
Caribbean tourism sector, champion sustainability, and continue to foster impactful
relationships and deliver ROI for our members.”
