James and Barbara Furey.
Barbara Furey, long-time supporter of the Caribbean region,
died recently from complications following a short illness.
She was 76 and worked alongside her partner and husband,
James, for more than 40 years, representing the interests of the Caribbean in
many projects, including the launch of the Caribbean Sales Seminars in the
early 1980s, a forerunner of the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s annual State of
the Industry Conference.
Furey was an active member of the CTO chapter system and
served as president of the Greater New York Chapter in the early 2000s.
She played an integral role on the Caribbean's Small Hotels
Advisory Committee to help destinations such as Dominica, St. Croix and
Anguilla improve their image and promote tourism.
Furey also helped launch the Caribbean Culinary Federation
in conjunction with the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association.
As partner of Furey and Associates, she promoted sun
destinations and Caribbean travel sections in numerous consumer newspapers and
publications.