The 13th annual Caribbean Conference on Sustainable Tourism Development was held in Guyana from sunday April 15 to Wednesday, April 18.
Anguillawas represented by Ms. Chantelle Davis, Deputy Director of Tourism at the ATB, Mr. Foster Rogers, Permanent Secretary Tourism and Hon. Haydn Hughes, Parliamentary Secretary Tourism.
At the opening ceremony there were feature addresses from several dignitaries, including the Guyana’s Acting President, Hon. Sam Hinds; the Acting Minister of Tourism, Hon. Irfaan Ali and the Chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), Hon. Ricky Skerritt of St. Kitts.
Delegates exchanged ideas with leading Caribbean and international sustainable tourism experts who presented on a series of important issues. These ranged from how to include local communities in the search for the best solutions to climate change, to identifying opportunities for “green” investments in theCaribbean.
One of the many attractions of the conference, organized by the CTO, is the opportunity it provided participants to network with leaders in the Caribbean tourism industry at conference sessions and at social events.
In addition, STC-13 attendees heard how the youth and local stakeholders feel about key sustainable tourism issues. The exciting study tours also allowed delegates to exploreGuyana’s rich history, multi-ethnic culture and amazing scenic beauty.
STC-13 brought together about 200 tourism industry leaders from the more than 30 member-countries of the CTO, Caribbean and international sustainable tourism practitioners and experts, representatives of the regional and international private sector, students, academics and members of the Caribbean and international press. Acting minister Ali sees the conference as an opportunity for Guyana to advance its product and expose the many desirable eco-tourism attractions that the country has to offer. The conference, which had as its theme, Keeping the Right Balance: Sustaining our Resources, was organized in collaboration with the Guyana Tourism Authority and was held at the Guyana International Conference Centre.
– Press Release