PRESS RELEASES

NEW YORK, November 4, 2009 – For the third consecutive year, the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), will bring championship volleyball to the Caribbean, showcasing the skills of Olympic and pro players and coaches during GObeachfest 2009. Organized by Volleyball Vacations, GObeachfest will take place at Club Med Turkoise located in Providenciales, Turks & Caicos, from November 7-21. The star-studded matches will feature Olympic champions including 2008 Olympic Gold Medalist Phil Dalhausser and 2008 Olympian Sean Rosenthal. 

“Beach volleyball is a popular sport in the Caribbean and we are ecstatic to host such high caliber volleyball players in our Region,” said Sylma Brown, Director of Marketing (Ag.) of the Caribbean Tourism Organization. “The sports tourism industry has been a driving factor in boosting arrivals to the Caribbean, so we’d like to continue to host key events such as this to support the interests of these travelers.”

GObeachfest is designed as a full athletic retreat and destination vacation targeting sports enthusiasts who want to train and network with pro athletes. The event will offer all of the amenities of a beach resort vacation with the addition of world-class athletic training and socializing with people of similar interests. Pro athletes from many disciplines and backgrounds will offer daily training sessions to attendees in addition to participating in the volleyball tournaments.

“The goal is to provide our participants with the opportunity to meet new friends from all over the world in a beautiful setting,” said Albert Hannemann, founder and CEO of Volleyball Vacations and GObeachfest. “This itinerary is not just for volleyball enthusiasts, but also for anyone who wants to learn sports from the best coaches in the world and enjoy theme parties, world class DJ's and listen to live bands during the action-packed nightly entertainment.”

The 2009 GObeachfest will feature the following pro athletes and trainers:

Albert Hannemann - Director of the 2009 AVP VIP Fan Experience, Director of the AVP Juniors Camps and Clinics, Olympic Festival Gold Medalist and founder and CEO of Volleyball Vacations and GObeachfest

Kim Lyons – Celebrity Trainer, Fitness Pro, Celebrity Trainer on NBC’s “The Biggest Loser,” Author Your Body, Your Life

Matt Olson – Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) Pro, winner of the 2008 Belmar, NJ AVP Open, 2x National Club Champion at UofA, Ranked 4th on the AVP tour.

Sean Rosenthal, 2008 Olympian - AVP Tour Champion, AVP Best Defensive Player, FIVB Top Rookie, AVP Best Server.

Gunter Schlierkamp – Mr. Universe, Bodybuilding Pro, Professional bodybuilder, Actor and Fitness Celebrity.

Francisco Escudero - Sky Banditz Kite-boarding Pro, Founder SkyBAnditz Kite-boarding Center, Florida Kitesurfing Association North Miami Beach.

Eric ‘T-Bones’ Masson – Beach Volleyball Pro, Level 3 Certified Coach in Canada, Level 2-3 Master Leaning Facilitation, Olympic team Canada Coach on the FIVB World Tour.

Sin Jin Smith – AVP Legend, Beach Volleyball Pro, original “King of the Beach”, 11 international & World Championships, 1st Player to reach 100 career open victories, 1st US team to qualify for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, UCLA Sports Hall of Fame.

Tarin Keith - Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) Pro, Owner of Visionary Essence.

TY Loomis - Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) Pro, 2009 AVP Crocs Tour Champion, Australian Pro Tour Champion.

Turks & Caicos is an easily accessible Caribbean destination.  Flights are offered from major cities including Atlanta, Boston, Miami, Newark, and New York City.  For additional information, please visit www.Gobeachfest.com.  For more information about the Caribbean Tourism Organization, please visit www.onecaribbean.org.

About the Caribbean Tourism Organization

The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), with the 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 benefit 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: Tel: (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. Tel: 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. Tel: (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; Tel: (246) 427-5242; Fax: (246) 429-3065; E-mail: ctobarbados@caribtourism.com. For more information, please visit www.caribbeantravel.com or www.onecaribbean.org. Get the latest CTO updates on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/ctotourism. Connect with CTO on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/CaribbeanTourismOrganization.

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