[Fwd: [CAST] Fwd: CARIBBEAN: Sustainable Tourism Development Caucus Opens Today]

Bruce at Island Resources wrote:
>
> [Some editorial comment after this press release passed on from the
> SIDSnet tourism list: . . . .]
>
> >From: "Jayne Musumba" <jayne@sidsnet.org>
> >Sender: "sidsnet-tourism-newswire mailinglist (owner)"
> ><owner-tourism-newswire@sidsnet.org>
> >Date: 19 May 2000 17:54:07 GMT
> >Subject: CARIBBEAN: Sustainable Tourism Development Caucus Opens Today
> >
> >Sustainable Tourism Development Caucus Opens Today
> >
> >May 19, 2000
> >
> >by SHIRLEY THOMAS
> >THE Fourth Annual Caribbean Organisation (CTO) Conference on
> >Sustainable Tourism Development opens today at Le Meridien
> >Pegasus with more than 150 delegates from the Caribbean and
> >further afield in attendance.
> >
> >Minister of Trade, Tourism and Industry, Geoffrey Da Silva and
> >the CTO's new Chairman, Mr Noel Lynch, who is also Minister of
> >Tourism and International Transport in Barbados, will welcome
> >delegates at the opening ceremony.
> >
> >The opening remarks will be delivered by Secretary General of the
> >CTO, Mr Jean Holder, while Mr. Michelet Fontaine, Director of the
> >World Wildlife Fund Guianas Forests and Environmental
> >Conservation Project is scheduled to deliver the keynote address.
> >
> >Participants at the four-day caucus include regional and
> >international tourism specialists, and development experts from
> >the cultural, environmental, academic and local community
> >sectors. The Conference will give participants an opportunity to
> >share their experiences and offer solutions to problems in the
> >development of sustainable tourism.
> >
> >And Guyana, apart from being host country, will also be used as a
> >case study during the conference. Following formal sessions in
> >the mornings, delegates will spend most afternoons on study
> >tours. This will give them the opportunity of enjoying Guyana's
> >diverse tourist product around Georgetown. They will also
> >participate in a one-day study tour of the interior on Sunday.
> >
> >Meanwhile, a special feature of the meeting will be the
> >presentation of the First CTO Excellence in Tourism Award on
> >Product Innovation. The award will go to an individual or a
> >country that has developed a unique and attractive tourism
> >product, based on sustainable tourism development principles and
> >core values.
> >
> >Journalists were told at a press briefing Wednesday that was
> >addressed by CTO's Communication Officer, Ms Karen Hackshaw, and
> >Sustainable Tourism Officer, Ms Mercedes Silva that this year's
> >conference will pay special attention to environmental and health
> >threats affecting the region.
> >
> >According to Ms Hackshaw, it will be an extremely informative
> >conference which will address sustainability and the CTO's plans
> >for the future.
> >
> >And stressing the importance of the caucus, Ms Silva said that it
> >will be a small but very dynamic meeting which will enable
> >participants from different backgrounds to learn from one
> >another. She said it will also offer an opportunity for Guyana to
> >reap tremendous benefits, while making a meaningful contribution
> >to the CTO. The officer commended highly, the persons involved in
> >preparations for the occasion, noting that they were `very
> >committed'.
> >
> >This year's main theme, "Unlocking the potential", was chosen in
> >response to the region's demand for more action in developing
> >regional products within the sustainable tourism principles.
> >
> >The Caribbean Tourism Organisation is a regional body comprising
> >32 member countries. It has the primary objective of providing
> >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 CTO provides specialised support and technical assistance to
> >member countries in the areas of marketing, human resource
> >development, research and statistics, and sustainable tourism
> >development.
> >
> >
> >Article by Guyana Chronicle
> >
>
> [It seems to me that eco-tourism of the Guyanese variety is relevant
> to only a very few destinations in the wider Caribbean, one of them
> being Suriname, the site of last year's CTO sustainable tourism
> conference.
>
> For the bulk of the INSULAR Caribbean, it seems to me that the issue
> of sustainability is how to transition
> * AWAY FROM increasingly non-competitive sun-sand-sea tourisms
> (think of the ad looking at back of the girl sitting topless on the
> white sand beach---I think it's been used by half of the islands in
> the region!),
> * TO a tourism based much more on the unique history, culture
> and heritage of each island.
> While there might be a small role for nature tourisms in that new mix
> and image (such as kayak tours of the Lagoon in St. Thomas), in only
> a few places will it have a major role (i.e., Dominica, maybe some
> sites in Grenada and St. Vincent).
>
> The tourism that is NOT sustainable for the bulk of the islands of
> the Caribbean is the style exemplified by the wholesale European
> charter-plane tourism of the Dominican Republic and nascent in Cuba.
> These operations, which typically sell all-inclusive rooms to tour
> operators for $50/day or less, cannot long compete with low-cost
> destinations in areas like South Asia and Mexico, which have 1)
> lower wages; 2) lower property costs; and 3) newer plant.
>
> Let's see future discussions of sustainability in the Caribbean
> (World Bank notwithstanding) spend more time and attention on those
> areas where islands in the region REALLY have sustainable advantage
> in the world tourism market.
>
> bruce potter]
>
> ]
> ]
Received on Fri May 26 12:00:34 2000