Acolla Lewis-Cameron

Trinidad and Tobago

Inaugural CTO Foundation Awardee: Michael Manley Scholarship 1998

MSc. in Hospitality and Tourism Education

University of Surry, United Kingdom

Dear CTO Scholarship Foundation,

I remain eternally grateful to the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) for awarding me the Inaugural Michael Manley Scholarship, which enabled me to pursue postgraduate studies in Hospitality and Tourism Education at the University of Surrey in the United Kingdom. My time at Surrey in 1998 opened a world of opportunities for academic and professional advancement. I chose to further my studies after receiving a full scholarship to pursue a Doctorate in Tourism Education at Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College (BCUC), also in the UK.

My three years at BCUC (1999–2002) deepened my passion for tourism education. During this time, I also lectured at the undergraduate level for two years — an experience that significantly shaped my career path. Upon completing my doctoral studies, I accepted a full-time position as a Tourism Lecturer at the Birmingham College of Food, Tourism and Creative Studies. This role allowed me to refine my teaching skills and gain valuable exposure to tertiary-level tourism curriculum development.

Although my time in Birmingham was brief due to personal circumstances and an opportunity to return home, I was honored to accept a position as Tourism Lecturer at the University of the West Indies (UWI), St. Augustine. I returned to Trinidad in December 2003 and have since embarked on what is now my sixth year at UWI, where I coordinate the Tourism programme.

To date, I have developed both an undergraduate degree in International Tourism Management and a Master’s programme in Tourism Development and Management. My research and publications have focused on Tourism Planning and Policy Development, Tourism Education, and Destination Marketing in the Caribbean. I am currently working on a forthcoming text entitled Strategic Destination Marketing: Case Studies from Small Island Developing States.

In addition to teaching and research, I have undertaken several consultancy projects with the Ministry of Tourism and the Tourism Development Company in Trinidad and Tobago. I’ve also had the privilege of delivering keynote addresses at graduation ceremonies for five different primary and tertiary institutions across the island. Further, I serve as a Director on the Board of the Tobago Hospitality and Tourism Institute.

Without a doubt, the CTO has provided me with a strong foundation upon which I continue to build. I remain committed to advancing tourism education at all levels across the region and look forward to future collaborations with the CTO as we work to develop sustainable tourism in the Caribbean.

With sincere appreciation,
Acolla Lewis-Cameron