Coastal tourism major innovation event for grenada

Up to 150 global green experts will debate sustainable models for coastal destinations at executive symposium

Prime Minister of Grenada, Dr. Keith Mitchell, and Grenada’s Ambassador to the U.S., Dr. Angus Friday, will speak at the opening plenary on the impacts of climate change on coastal tourism. The Symposium will be officially opened Wednesday evening, July 9 by Grenada’s Tourism Minister, Alexandra Otway-Noel.

The unique event, organized by CREST (Center for Responsible Travel), Stamford University and Caribbean Tourism Organisation, together with Pure Grenada will bring together up to 150 invited global ‘green’ experts, including real estate developers, operators, investors, and other business executives committed to (or considering) new sustainable models of marine, coastal, and island tourism and vacation home development. 

These are considered to be the thought leaders who are breaking the mold of cookie-cutter resort development and mass-market cruise ships.  In addition to business leaders, a select group of participants have been invited from key government agencies, NGOs, academia, community organizations, and international development organizations.

The Symposium will open in Grenada on Wednesday evening, July 9 and runs through Friday, Jul 11. On July 8 – 9, prior to the Symposium, participants will have an opportunity to visit tourism attractions in Grenada and attend Grenada’s first Sustainability Expo featuring local tourism and agricultural innovators.

Current speakers include such sustainable tourism luminaries as Martha Honey, Murray Simpson, Jonathan Tourtellot, and Mark Spalding amongst the 50-odd speakers.

The three-day event will feature 16 workshops and five plenary sessions that will cover an extensive range of topics, including:

• Climate change mitigation and adaption for coastal tourism
• Financing sustainable tourism
• Greening’ marinas, spas, golf courses and vacation homes
• Impacts and innovations of cruise tourism
• Travelers’ philanthropy
• Sustainable practices and design in boutique hotels, large coastal resorts, and vacation homes

This Innovators Symposium – like the previous Symposiums at Stanford University, CA and Los Cabos, Mexico organized by CREST — will be an intimate event with high quality participants and ample time for informal networking. The Symposium will have a geographic focus on coastal areas in the Americas, with a strong emphasis on the Caribbean.

The Grenada Symposium is modeled on executive seminars held at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and will feature a business-to-business emphasis with CEO and top management level participation. This unique gathering includes a diversified range of events and formats, including keynote talks, round-table discussions, knowledge-exchange workshops, formal and informal networking opportunities, documentary film presentations, an expo of sustainable tourism and agricultural projects and products, and more. It will be an intimate event with high quality participants and ample time for informal interchanges.

Further info HERE

Valere Tjolle

@ValereTjolle [email protected]