Caribbean Countries aim to unite as one
Caribbean Tourism Organisation chairman Alan Chastanet had strong words of encouragement as he re-emphasised the need for the Caribbean to work as one unit in nearly all areas of tourism policy.
His call to arms incorporated a unified strategy on marketing, regional air policy and standards.
The gathering ministers from the 32 member countries at the Caribbean Tourism Conference in Puerto Rico agreed on the principles that:
– The tourism sector is of critical importance to all Caribbean countries
– There is an inescapable link between tourism and air transport
– The region has a declining global share
– There is an escalating cost of regional air travel
– There is a reduction in intra-regional visits
With this in mind Chastanet backed up by secretary general Vincent Vanderpol-Wallace stressed the overriding need for co-operation and the establishment of CTO-wide umbrella policies.
First among these was air transport and the intensification of efforts toward the creation of a single regional air space thus allowing more effective use of the existing regional airlines.
The pleas for unification did not stop there Chastanet stated that “within the next three years the world will look at the Caribbean as an example of best practice in all things related to tourism.
“We will act as one and if one country has issues we all have issues. If one country has problems we all have problems. We will act as one.”
Julia Hendry, managing director of the UK/European branch of the CTO, was full of praise for the initiatives.
“The entire essence of the CTO is about working together,” she said. “CTC-30 has strengthened that belief throughout.
“We need to work harder at a new and more effective air policy and work harder at marketing the unique characteristics of all of our member countries under one banner – the Caribbean.”
The CTO will again be organising a large Caribbean contingent at this year’s World Travel Market in London and in a break with tradition will be running a ‘street party’ on November 13.
Phil Davies
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