Petra Roach and Marsha Alleyne have accepted two new senior appointments at the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. (BTMI), effective Monday, October 7.
To strengthen and strategically lead the further development of Barbados’ brand, BTMI has promoted Petra Roach to the newly-created post of Head, Global Markets.
In this role, she will be responsible for formulating strategies and plans for business development opportunities in the overseas markets to drive and heighten awareness of Barbados as a destination, while collaborating with industry partners to transform Barbados into a world-class destination.
A goal-oriented and assertive professional with experience in the tourism, sales and marketing, and finance industries, Petra is no stranger to Barbados’ tourism.
A longstanding employee with the organization, she most notably served as Vice President for the UK office for 12 years and more recently as the Director for the US. During her four-year tenure in the US, Barbados enjoyed record-breaking growth in its arrivals from that market and is on track to outperform itself this year again.
Throughout her career, Petra has received numerous professional awards, namely the Caribbean World – Caribbean Personality of the Year 2013; British Travel Awards Personality of the Year 2013; and Virtuoso Ambassador of the Year 2018.
Proficient in many technical areas of the field, Petra has proven herself a valuable asset to the organization, and the development of Barbados tourism overall.
Marsha Alleyne has been promoted from the post of Manager, Guest Experiences to Chief Product Development Officer. In the new role, she will be responsible for strengthening the sustainability, continuous development and promotion of Barbados’ tourism products and services.
Before treading into tourism, Marsha began her professional journey in television where she co-produced as a television hostess with the Caribbean Broadcasting Cooperation (CBC).
She then honed her hospitality career at Almond Resorts where she went on to reach the position of Director, Human Resources. Later working in the position of Manager, National Tourism Host Program (NTHP) at the Barbados Tourism Product Authority (BTPA), Marsha developed the ‘I am Tourism’ campaign which is a national educational and awareness building campaign.
She also conceptualized and developed the new ‘Festive Fridays’ Bridgetown Night Market held each week at Pelican Craft Centre.
Marsha, who holds a Master’s Degree in Tourism & Hospitality Management from the University of the West Indies, sees her strongest skills as product development, coordinating and training, and effective portfolio management.
Both Mrs. Alleyne and Ms. Roach will report directly to the Chief Executive Officer of the BTMI, William ‘Billy’ Griffith.