TCI Premier To Lead Delegation To Region's Premier Sustainable Tourism Conference In Trinidad & Tobago

The Premier of the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI), Dr. Rufus Ewing will lead a three member delegation to the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO)’s 14th annual Sustainable Tourism Conference (STC-14), which opens in the Trinidad and Tobago capital, Port of Spain, next week.

This will be Dr. Ewing’s first CTO event since he was elected Premier last November, and since he took the tourism portfolio late last month as part of a cabinet reshuffle.

In addition to attending the various sessions, the TCI Premier will make a presentation on how the Turks and Caicos Islands and small developing states can continue to advance destination sustainability in the context of the ongoing economic downturn and with limited resources.

“Rest assured that the Turks and Caicos Islands has a great presentation to make in this regard based on our experiences over the past five years,” Dr. Ewing said. The TCI hosted the 10th Sustainable Tourism Conference (STC-10) in 2008 and, at STC-11 in 2010, reported progress in a number of important areas.
Dr. Ewing will be joined by the head of the secretariat in the Office of the Premier, Ronlee James and Brian Been, the senior product development officer at the Turks & Caicos Islands Tourist Board. Mr. Been is the deputy chairman of the CTO’s Sustainable Tourism Technical Committee.

STC-14 begins with an official opening ceremony which is scheduled to start at 6:45 P.M. on Monday 15 April at the Hyatt Regency in Port of Spain. Prime Minister Kamla Persaud Bissessar is scheduled to address the opening, with Carlos Vogeler, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)’s point man in the Americas, down to deliver the keynote address.

Themed, “Keeping the Right Balance: Enhancing Destination Sustainability Through Products, Partnerships and Profitability,” the conference will explore ways the Caribbean can enhance destination sustainability and competitiveness in the current global environment by examining a number of critical issues.
For more information on STC-14, including how to participate, visit www.caribbeanstc.com.

About the Caribbean Tourism Organization
The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), with headquarters in Barbados and offices in New York and London, is the Caribbean’s tourism development agency comprising membership of over 30 countries and territories including Dutch, English, French and Spanish, as well as a myriad of private sector allied members. The CTO’s vision is to position the Caribbean as the most desirable, year round, warm weather destination by 2017, and its purpose is Leading Sustainable Tourism – One Sea, One Voice, One Caribbean.
Among the benefits to its members the organization provides specialized support and technical assistance in sustainable tourism development, marketing, communications, advocacy, human resource development, research and information technology.

In addition the CTO, in partnership with the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association, jointly and equally owns the Caribbean Tourism Development Company, a marketing and business development entity dedicated to promoting the Caribbean brand worldwide.

The CTO’s Headquarters is located at Baobab Tower, Warrens, St. Michael, Barbados BB 22026; Tel: (246) 427-5242; Fax: (246) 429-3065; E-mail: CTObarbados@caribtourism.com.

The CTO’s New York office is located at 80 Broad St., Suite 3302, New York, NY 10004, USA: Tel: (212) 635-9530; Fax: (212) 635-9511; E-mail: CTOny@caribtourism.com;

The CTO’s London office is located at The Quadrant, Richmond, Surrey TW9 1BP, England. Tel: 011 44 208 948 0057; Fax: 011 44 208 948 0067; E-mail: CTOlondon@caribtourism.com;

For more information on the Caribbean Tourism Organization please visit www.OneCaribbean.org.