Two young Jamaicans recently received world ratings in the field of tourism from the Travel Agent Magazine, the US national news weekly magazine of the travel industry.
In its special bonus issue published just over a month ago, which featured “100 rising stars in the world’s travel industry’’, noted Hotelier Joe Issa and administrator David Shields were named amongst the group which also includes 35 year-old Gregory Brenneman, who is president and chief operating officer for Continental Airlines.
Issa, 31, is son of hoteliers John and Aida Issa and currently holds the post of senior vice president in the family owned SuperClubs hotel chain. Travel Agent Magazine described Issa as both a leader and an achiever.
In 1994 he became the first Jamaican to be chosen as the “Young hotelier of the World” by the International Hotel Association.
He is a past student of Campion College, London School of Economics and the College of the Holy Cross in the USA.
Shields, 34, is a graduate of the University of the West Indies, in accounting and management studies, is at present an assistant director of marketing and promotions in the Cayman Islands’ Department of Tourism.
He has held this post since June 1995 and prior to that, Shields has had several sales and marketing positions in a variety of companies in Jamaica.
According to Travel Agent Magazine, “Shields relies on his adept people and marketing skills to ensure a bright future for himself in this competitive tourism industry.”
Editor of Travel Agent James Shillinglaw said “while these stars may have risen, it probably is safe to assume they will end up with even greater responsibility in the near future”.
Source: The Observer
