Joy Jibrilu honored with CTO’s Allied Award
Jibrilu was present at the ceremony at the Wyndham New Yorker in Midtown to accept the award bestowed upon her by the CTO and its allied members. Jibrilu is the first Bahamian member of the CTO family to receive the esteemed award.
“I am extremely honored to be receiving the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s Allied Award this year,” said Jibrilu. “Promoting our spectacular Caribbean region and its sustainability is a personal passion of mine, and its good stewardship is essential for all of us. I am grateful that my colleagues in the tourism industry, and my neighbors in the Caribbean, consider my contributions to have been so worthwhile.”
Established in 2005, the Allied Award is presented to an individual within the CTO who has done an extraordinary job of contributing to the sustainable development of the region. Eligible organizations include members of government; member airlines and cruise lines; and allied members, which includes hotels, tour operators, marketing companies, newspapers, magazines and television programming.
“It is with both respect and admiration that we recognize these business and industry icons for their tireless commitment – often beyond the call of duty – to the development of a sustainable Caribbean tourism product,” said Sylma Brown, director, CTO-USA.
Throughout her tenure in the government sector, Jibrilu has worked diligently to encourage sustainable development and tourism growth for the islands of The Bahamas, with a focus on respect for the local environment, culture and people. In her role as director general, a position to which she was appointed in May 2014, she has had oversight in the development, marketing and promotion of the Bahamian tourism industry’s multi-faceted marketing programs targeting consumers in global markets, including the U.S., Canada, the UK, Latin America and Europe.
Prior to this, she served as the director of investments in the Bahamas Investment Authority (BIA), Office of the Prime Minister, commencing that role in July 2008.
In both positions, she has been involved in negotiating and implementing some of the largest tourism investment and development projects in the country, including the final phases of the Atlantis Paradise Island megaresort and the multibillion-dollar Baha Mar resort development on Cable Beach.
Jibrilu’s contributions to these major tourism initiatives have brought significant employment and economic opportunities to The Bahamas, and by extension, the Caribbean region. She is passionate about The Bahamas, the Caribbean region and promoting her country and the region around the world.
“I am a firm believer that we are all guardians of these wonderful islands that many of us get to call home, and as a result, we have an incredible responsibility to promote tourism in the most sustainable manner in order to safeguard the Caribbean for future generations,” Jibrilu said.
The director general was one of nine industry and business professionals, in addition to 12 travel influencers from the media, to be recognized across several award categories during the event. Haitian-American Marlie Hall, an award-winning broadcast journalist and entrepreneur, alongside a former correspondent for CBS News, presided as master of ceremonies.
Caribbean Week New York is the largest regional tourism activity in the New York area. Artists, performers, celebrity chefs, the Diaspora community, investors and other strategic partners join government officials, tourism stakeholders and the media for a week of festivities, raising awareness for the Caribbean’s diverse tourism industry and opportunities.
The Nassau Guardian
