Regions's Tourism Growth Slows and > CTO marked Caribbean Tourism Day

2 papers included in this mail

> Region's Tourism Growth Slows - Thursday-09-November-2000
> CARIBBEAN tourism is losing global market share.
>
> President of the Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA), Ralph Taylor,
> said that last year, South Asia led tourism’s world industry
> growth by 9.1 per cent, followed by Latin America at 6.1 per
> cent; North Africa, six per cent, and the Caribbean at 5.5.
>
> He said growth in regional tourism was predominately in the
> Spanish-speaking Caribbean, and within the large hotel sector.
>
> Speaking at the recent Small Hotels’ Conference in St. Lucia, the
> Barbadian hotelier told over 300 delegates they must consider the
> implications of these statistics on the small hotels sector.
>
> Among them, he said, were the competitiveness and price
> attractiveness of competing destinations worldwide; more
> demanding and quality-conscious travellers; the integration of
> the travel industry; globalisation of hotel brands and the rapid
> change of technology.
>
> Taylor, however, stressed that the problems of small hotels were
> no more different than those of large hotels.
>
> “The more I think about the problems of small hotels, the more
> I’m convinced they are nothing more than the problems of all
> hotels.”
>
> The CHA head suggested that small hotels be allowed to maintain
> their own identities while being given much assistance, “as they
> have much to bring to the table in improving the lot of the
> overall industry”.
>
> SOURCE: Barbados Nation
>
>
> CTO marked Caribbean Tourism Day
>
> 8 November, 2000
>
> BRIDGETOWN, Barbados - The Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO)
> on Tuesday marked Caribbean Tourism Day, in recognition of the
> value of this industry to the economies of the Caribbean.
>
> The theme of this year’s observance was "Tourism and Technology:
> The Great Adventure", the CTO said in a press release. "The aim
> was to focus attention of the impact of technological change on
> the industry. The day’s activities seeked to increase general
> awareness of this trend, promoted the tourism product of the
> Caribbean, as well as increased students’ understanding and
> appreciation of the industry as a viable career option," the CTO
> said.
>
> The CTO plans were to distribute to the region, a message from
> its new chairman, Cornelius Smith, minister of tourism for The
> Bahamas. "This will stress the need for the regional tourism
> industry to keep abreast and make the best use of the advances in
> technology to develop the industry," the CTO said.
>
> As part of the activities for Caribbean Tourism Day, the CTO
> hosted a poster exhibition at its Barbados headquarters.
>
> It was designed to highlight the range of tourism destinations
> within the Caribbean and the diversity of cultures, attractions
> and peoples to be found in the region.
>
> A number of CTO member countries staged activities on or around
> the date in support of, and in commemoration of Caribbean Tourism
> Day. "The concept of staging a Caribbean Tourism Day was launched
> several years ago in order to focus the attention of the region
> onto the benefits to be derived from the tourism industry," the
> CTO said.
>
> The CTO is a tourism development agency for 33 member governments
> and private sector companies with marketing operations in New
> York, London and Toronto.
>
> CTO carries out an on-going programme of technical assistance and
> educational conferences and scholarships.
>
> The organisation also stages workshops and seminars at national
> and regional levels in the areas of marketing, market research
> and product development.
>
> SOURCE: St. Vincent & the Grenadines Herald
Received on Thu Nov 9 12:53:59 2000