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Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) Brings Beachfront to the City

NEW YORK, June 9 /PRNewswire/ -- The Caribbean makes a splash in the city today (Wednesday) when the New York Film Academy Cafe, 51 Astor Place, becomes a beachfront playground in the East Village, offering a taste of all things "Hecho en el Caribe" ("Made in the Caribbean").

The cafe, which offers indoor and outdoor seating, will serve as the backdrop for the after work, urban beach party complete with sunbathers sporting bikinis and swim trunks from fashion retailer H&M and the sounds of PutuMayo World Music's new release "Latin Party" as spun by DJ Degree. Free ice coffees by Bustelo and rum cupcakes from I Like Cake will be available on a first come, first serve basis. The event is free and open to the public and will run from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Vacation getaways and air travel to Caribbean destinations, as well as tickets for the CTO's Rum & Rhythm event (Thursday, June 10, from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Roseland Ballroom), and gift cards from H&M are some of the giveaways planned during the beach party, along with raffles for dinners for two to Hispanic Caribbean restaurants such as Victor's Cafe, Sofrito and Sazon in New York and Don Coqui in New Rochelle, N.Y.

Special appearances also are scheduled during the beach party featuring author and Food Network chef Daisy Martinez and other invited guests.

"A bit of the Caribbean is on display in New York this week (June 7-12) to showcase all things 'Hecho en el Caribe,' or 'Made in the Caribbean,' and to underscore the message that Hispanics who are born in, or who are of Caribbean descent, share a dual identity: they are Caribenos," said Sylma Brown Bramble, the CTO's acting director of marketing for the Americas.

With this push into the Hispanic market, the CTO seeks to establish and ultimately entrench itself as the must-go warm weather vacation destination for Hispanics. "The opportunities exist for Hispanics to return to their native Caribbean countries or to visit and connect with Caribbean destinations that hold the histories to their cultural backgrounds and heritages," Brown Bramble noted.

The "Hecho en el Caribe" beach party is one of several public events the CTO is hosting during Caribbean Week in New York, June 6-12. The event, which promises beach fun, sun and sand, is aimed at Hispanics who are Caribbean-born or descendants of those who are from countries and islands including Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, among others.

Beach party goers can expect to find the New York Film Academy Cafe to be transformed into a mini resort space featuring inviting hammocks; an outdoor day bed for after work sunbathing and lounging; and swimwear-clad brand ambassadors ready for either an impromptu volleyball match or to provide a one-on-one primer on any one of the CTO's 33 destinations in the Caribbean.

The tagline, "Hecho en el Caribe," was created with an eye towards starting a movement that goes beyond origin to signify and embody a way of life and a code that unifies all those who call themselves Caribbean.

For more information about the CTO's Hispanic effort during Caribbean Week in New York, send an email to news@hechoenelcaribe.net. For more information on Caribbean Week in New York go to www.CaribbeanWeekNY.com.

About the Caribbean Tourism Organization

The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), with headquarters in Barbados and marketing operations in New York, London and Toronto, is the Caribbean's tourism development agency and comprises membership of over 30 governments and a myriad of private sector entities.

The CTO's mission is to provide to and through its members, the services and information needed for the development of sustainable tourism for the economic and social benefits of the Caribbean people.

The organization provides specialized support and technical assistance to member countries in the areas of marketing human resource development, research and statistics, information technology and sustainable tourism development. The CTO disseminates information on behalf of its member governments to consumers and the travel trade.

The CTO's New York office is located at 80 Broad St., 32nd Floor, New York, NY 10004, USA. Telephone: (212) 635-9530; Fax: (212) 635-9511; E-mail: ctony@caribtourism.com; CTO's London office is located at The Quadrant, Richmond, Surrey TW9, 1BP, England. Telephone: 011 44 208 948 0057; Fax: 011 44 208 948 0067; E-mail: ctolondon@caribtourism.com; CTO Canada is located at 2 Bloor Street West, Suite 2601. Toronto, Ont. M4W 3E2, Canada, Telephone: (416) 935-0767; Fax: (416) 935-0939; E-mail: ctotoronto@caribtourism.com. CTO Headquarters is located at One Financial Place, Collymore Rock, St. Michael, Barbados; Telephone: (246) 427-5242; Fax: (246) 429-3065; E-mail: ctobarbados@caribtourism.com. For more information, please visit www.caribbeantravel.com or www.CaribbeanWeekNY.com.

SOURCE Caribbean Tourism Organization