WILLEMSTAD — The tourist sector assembled last Friday for the ‘Chata Award Celebration’. During the official presentation, the project Pietermaai Small and the Jan Thiel Group received the ‘Chata Appreciation Award’ and the Curaçao North Sea Jazz Festival (CNSJF) was given the ‘Chata Industry Award’.

“2012 is a historic year for Chata because for the event of the presentations the area from Pietermaai Small – Ginger Restaurant – was transformed into an Elegant Street Festival. With drinks and refreshments the invitees enjoyed an evening full of fantasy and magic with the attractive decoration, but also the dances and music.”

In her speech, Chata-director Lisa Dindial, gave recognition to several partners in the tourist sector who had contributed to the development of tourism on the island. Chata gave recognition to Billy Jonkheer for his support as member of the board the past twenty years and to Chata-chairwoman Jeanette Hooi-Bonet, who hold the positions of member, member of the board and chairwoman of Chata in the past seven years.

Two ‘Chata Appreciation Awards’ were presented that evening to Pietermaai Small for the entire transformation of this area in a well visited tourist zone with restaurants, apartments and entertainment, and to the Jan Thiel Group ‘for the unique project of developing the area of Jan Thiel that includes Chogogo Resort, Livingstone Resort, Papagayo Resort, Morena Resort, Zest, Zanzibar and Boca Gentil. “This area is an important pillar as regards the tourist product and what it offers as destination Curaçao”, Dindial said during the presentation. The ‘Chata Industry Award’ was given to the CNSJF and Fundashon Bon Intenshon. “Chata appreciates the efforts of Gregory Elias and Fundashon Bon Intenshon from which the organization of this event ensued and that has created an enormous impact on the island the past years. An event, which created employment, from which hotels and other tourism partners benefited and which Curaçao in its entirety enjoyed the spin-off of economic activities”, said Dindial.