CTO Secretary General Comments on Theme for 28th Annual Caribbean Tourism Conference (CTC-28) in U.S
Conference theme focuses on tourism as the business of the Caribbean
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, July 19, 2005. Every Caribbean national, including our leaders, must see tourism as a top priority because of its importance to the countries' economies, the region's top tourism public servant has said.
Secretary General of the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace made this statement as he commented on the theme for the CTO's 28th Annual Caribbean Tourism Conference (CTC-28) to be held in the United States Virgin Islands from October 21-26, 2005.
CTO and the USVI Department of Tourism have announced that the conference theme will be Tourism: The Business of the Caribbean.
"We're focusing primarily on the business of tourism at this year's Caribbean Tourism Conference because our industry plays a vital role in the economic stability of the Caribbean region," Mr. Vanderpool-Wallace said.
Tourism accounts for an estimated one in four jobs throughout the region and is responsible on average for more than 30 per cent of each country's gross national product.
"As a result of tourism's economic impact on the livelihood of people in the Caribbean, we must stress the importance of making tourism a top priority from the heads of state down to individual residents in their homes. Tourism should be present in every facet of our lives," the secretary general said.
"We must educate our children about careers in tourism and adequately train employees already working in the industry. We must capture the attention of our politicians so that they make tourism a priority on their agendas and in their budgets," he concluded.
CTO and the USVI are in the midst of putting together an exciting programme of general sessions and workshops that will relate to the theme.
The conference programme will offer site inspections and niche market workshops for travel agents, the popular Travel + Leisure Youth Congress, the Cond'e Nast Essay Competition, the Great Caribbean Travel Game, the Travel Writers/Photographers Awards programme, the CTO press conference and the closing gala.
The conference is the Caribbean region's premier caucus of tourism decision-makers and an important event on the calendar of tourism practitioners, as well as individuals seeking to do business with the Caribbean.
The Frenchman's Reef & Morning Star Marriott Beach Resort is the host hotel for the event conference, as well as the meetings of the Ministers and Commissioners of Tourism and the Board of Directors, and Media Day which will begin on Friday, Oct. 21 and run through Sunday, Oct. 23, 2005.
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