Tourism Attraction Board staff honoured
(CNS Local Life): Two Tourism Attraction Board (TAB) employees were recently recognised for their long service at the Cayman Islands Tourism Association (CITA) Stingray Tourism Awards. Stacy Hurlston and James “Hal” Miller, tour guides at the Pedro St James National Historic Site and Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park, respectively, were both honoured with a Diamond Award, with the two each serving more than 20 years in the hospitality industry.
TAB director Patrick Thompson said of the two award winners: “It is wonderful to see so many years of service by these two remarkable men being recognised in this way. The board is pleased that the public joins us in honouring Stacy and Hal for their dedication to the industry, to their jobs and to Caymanian culture and heritage.”
Hurlston has a unique connection to his place of employment, being a direct descendent of the builder of the original home, William Eden, stated a TAB press release. “It’s an honour, I am grateful and humbled,” he said. “I’m not a person who like accolades, I just do what I do because I want visitors to learn about our people; to build up our identity and our culture. This is very important to me and important for people to learn what Pedro St James is all about.”
At the Botanic Park, Miller is the resident expert on Cayman culture, as it pertains to the uses of medicinal plants, traditional tools and crafts and how Caymanians survived 100 years ago, the release stated. Of being honoured, Miller said, “I feel great, it means a lot to me, I really enjoy interacting with people and enjoy doing the heritage tours for the park. This award means that what I do is appreciated.”
Botanic Park manager John Lawrus said Miller is vital for providing educational tours to all visiting tourists and local school groups. “This shows recognition not just by our daily visitors but people in the industry also see the important work Hal does,” he said, adding he believes this is the start of many awards to come. “This is the first time our Botanic staff member has been presented with a Cayman Islands tourism award and I think all our staff can achieve this greatness in the coming years.”
Category: Culture, Local News, Tourism
