[Fwd: CARIBBEAN/BARBADOS: Four-Part Tourism Plan]

"Jayne Musumba" wrote:
>
> Four-part Tourism Plan
>
> Monday-07-May-2001
>
> THE CARIBBEAN must adopt a four-pronged attack in addressing the
> regionís tourism industry.
>
> The four issues to be addressed are promotion of the region,
> safety and security, airlift and investment and product renewal ñ
> which are vital to the regionís tourism industry.
>
> This consensus came out of the fifth annual Caribbean Hotel and
> Tourism Investment Conference (CHTIC) in CuraÁao and was reached
> by all the delegates.
>
> The conference, which was co-sponsored by the Caribbean Hotel
> Association (CHA) and the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) in
> conjunction with Burba Hotel Network (BHN), was held April 17 to
> 19 at the World Trade Centre in CuraÁao.
>
> ìUndoubtedly one of the main challenges of the Caribbean tourism
> industry is the marketing of the region as a single vacation
> destination,î said Jolul Bell, director general and CEO of CHA.
>
> ìIn an effort to promote and enhance the Caribbeanís position as
> the worldís leading warm weather tourism destination, CHA has
> developed a three-year multi-million dollar regional marketing
> programme called ëGreat Places In The Caribbeaní, which will be
> unveiled at the Caribbean Hotel Industry Conference in June,î he
> added.
>
> Safety and security
>
> Regarding safety and security: ìOne of our top priorities should
> be to fight crime in the region and Caribbean governments should
> adopt a zero tolerance policy towards crime,î said Jean Holder,
> secretary general of the CTO.
>
> To address this important issue, CHA, in conjunction with the
> International Hotel and Restaurant Association, and the Caribbean
> Epidemiology Centre, hosted a Think Tank On Safety And Security
> In The Caribbean Hospitality Industry, on May 3 to 4, in
> Trinidad.
>
> Meanwhile, in terms of air travel to the region, delegates
> recognised that efforts must be made to change the current trend
> of the reduction of flights between Europe and the Caribbean.
>
> Projections indicate that in the next decade tourism will have an
> annual growth rate of four per cent while contributing 11.6 per
> cent of the worldís gross national product and generating more
> than 250 million jobs, according to the World Travel and Tourism
> Council (WTTC).
>
> ìWe are observing that world tourism is leaning towards adventure
> destinations, exotic destinations, and ecotourism destinations,î
> said one of the conferenceís speakers Graham Wason,
> vice-president of strategy and development of WTTC, while
> addressing delegates at the opening ceremony.
>
> SOURCE: Barbados Nation
>
Received on Tue May 8 19:06:16 2001