Cinnamon Island in Male wins PATA award

Cinnamon Island Alidhoo, Maldives has been named Grand Award winner in the 'Education and Training' category of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) 2008 PATA Gold Awards programme, a release from Thailand said.

The initiative began as an energetic local recruitment drive and gradually snowballed into an unprecedented opportunity for the women and young people of Barah and Utheem islands in the Maldives to transform themselves into well-trained hoteliers.

This year, the resort's parent company, Keells Hotel Management Services Limited, invested to operate a hotel school in which the curriculum is focused on providing the youth of the islands neighbouring Cinnamon Island Alidhoo with skills that would equip them to enter the industry.

"We are delighted to receive the PATA award", said Sector Head, Resort Hotels Jayantissa Kehelpannala. "The School of Hospitality is the off-spring of our foray into truly sustainable development, which lives by a win-win ethic. This is an initiative that benefits the people as much as the industry and I am glad we have been instrumental in making a difference," he said.

"What is both satisfying and humbling is that we have been chosen as a Grand Winner from a total of 258 entries from 108 travel and tourism organisations. This is also a reflection of the strength and spirit of the brand," he added.

Cinnamon Island Alidhoo is the flagship resort of Cinnamon Hotels and Resorts, John Keells Group's premier hospitality brand. It is the first of its kind established in the widely undiscovered atoll of Haa Alifu.

The other three PATA Grand Awards have been given to Singapore Airlines in the Marketing category; Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation for Heritage; and Nihiwatu Resort, Indonesia for the Environment.

In addition to the four Grand Awards, there were 22 Gold Awards that have also been given and they would receive their awards at the PATA Travel Mart 2008, September 19, in Hyderabad, India.

PATA is an association that acts as a catalyst for the responsible development of the Asia Pacific travel and tourism industry.