Richard Williams, a prominent Caribbean hotelier and chairman of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association's Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism, died Nov. 26 in Barbados.
Williams was managing director and part owner of Cobblers Cove Hotel in Barbados; managing director of Kuoni Hotel Management, Swiss Hotels in the Caribbean; and CEO of Sandy Lane Hotel in Barbados.
He was a past president of the Barbados Hotel Association (now the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association) and was the first Barbadian honored as Caribbean Hotelier of the Year by the CHTA.
In recognition of his contributions to the development of the Caribbean tourism industry, the government of Barbados awarded Williams the Silver Crown of Merit in 1992.
Nicola Madden-Grieg, the CHTA's president, lauded his volunteer service to the association, during which he contributed to the design of Caribbean Marketplace, the Caribbean Gold Book and the Caribbean Hotels Reservations Service.
"Richard had a tremendous influence on many seasoned as well as new players in the industry," she said. "He will always be remembered for his ability to seamlessly and selflessly share his insights and knowledge with others.
Funeral services are pending.