MIAMI, FL (April 2014) – The Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association Education Foundation (CHTAEF) has announced that $115,612 was raised for its scholarship fund for Caribbean hospitality students and professionals at its annual silent auction held at The New York Times Travel Show last month.

More than 125 Caribbean hotels donated stays for the annual event, held at the largest consumer travel show in the United States. Funds raised at the auction are used to provide scholarships to Caribbean nationals pursuing higher education or professional development in hospitality and tourism.

Barbados, Antigua, Jamaica and The Bahamas were among the destinations whose donations raised the most scholarship money.

The annual silent auction at The New York Times Travel Show is the single largest fundraising event for the education foundation, however, with additional support from sponsors including Interval International ($50,000), Virgin Holidays ($33,000) and FirstCaribbean International Bank ($10,000), and matching grants from a variety of universities such as Johnson & Wales University, Florida International University, Monroe College and University of Memphis, CHTAEF is able to provide even more assistance.

“We are very grateful to The New York Times for their support as they provide the foundation with generous booth space and a great location at their Travel Show at no cost every year,” said Richard S Kahn, chairman of CHTAEF.

“Our heartfelt gratitude goes out to the hoteliers who made this success possible by donating stays, and to the hotel associations that rallied their hotel members in support of our fundraising efforts,” he added.

CHTAEF awards worthy Caribbean nationals who demonstrate a strong commitment to the hospitality and tourism industry, proving the potential for future success, with scholarship money to enhance or further their expertise. This includes academic tuition scholarships, short-course professional development tuition scholarships, work experience placement opportunities, and grants for tourism and hospitality teachers for furthering their education or to gain industry work experience.