[Fwd: CARIBBEAN: New Tourism Programme in the Works]

From: tourism-newswire@sidsnet.org

New tourism programme in the works
SOURCE: Barbados Advocate
Web Posted - Tue May 27 2003

THE Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA) and the Caribbean Tourism
Organisation (CTO), have signed an agreement with the Caribbean Forum of
African, Caribbean and Pacific States (CARIFORUM), to implement an
eight-million dollar public/private sector tourism programme in the
region.

The programme for the development of the Caribbean tourism industry is
funded by the European Union under the 8th European Development Fund
(EDF).

A third beneficiary is the Pontifical Catholic University Madre y
Maestra (PUCMM), based in the Dominican Republic. Three million dollars
of the total funding has been allocated to CHA, marking the first time
that the European Union provides funding to the Caribbean’s hotel
private sector.

“For the past five years, CHA has worked diligently, with the support of
the London-based Caribbean Council, to secure a private-sector component
in the European Union’s development programmes.”

“We look forward to CHA’s new role as a private-sector partner in the
development of Caribbean Tourism in the years ahead,” said Simón Suárez,
president of CHA.

The funds will be directed to initiatives in the areas of human resource
development, product improvement, industry research and the environment.

The CHA and CTO have also signed a Memorandum of Understanding to
co-operate on the implementation of the project, in order to maximise
the funding by avoiding the duplication of efforts.

The CHA, CTO and PUCMM will be submitting work plans to CARIFORUM by the
end of May, with a target starting date of September 2003.

CARIFORUM is a grouping of Caribbean states, of which the majority
signed the Lomé IV Convention and Cotonou Agreement. The Lomé Convention
and the Cotonou Agreement are two important international aid and trade
agreements between the ACP states and the European Union.
Received on Thu May 29 08:26:34 2003