BARBADOS HOSTS ANNUAL CARIBBEAN CONFERENCE ON SUSTAINABLE TOURISM 11th Annual Conference to Focus on Strategic Heritage Tourism Planning Toronto, CANADA (April 7, 2010) – This May marks the 11th Annual Caribbean Conference on Sustainable Tourism, otherwise known as the Sustainable Tourism Conference (STC-11). This year’s conference will be held at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Center (formally Sherbourne Conference Center) in Barbados from May 9-12, 2010. The theme for this year’s conference is Keeping the Right Balance: Creating Opportunities Through a World Class Sustainable Tourism Product, and is being organized by the CTO in collaboration with the Barbados Tourism Authority. For registration and other information, visit www.OneCaribbean.org. Strategic heritage tourism planning will be the focus of the opening general session, and a panel of experts will examine the subject and make recommendations to delegates attending. Among the panelists is Dr. Keith Nurse, the director of the Shridath Ramphal Center for International Trade Law, Policy and Services, of the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Barbados. Dr. Nurse will present his findings of a study of the performance of selected heritage tourism products and sites in the region. He will also discuss the critical success factors, best practices and pitfalls involved in developing heritage tourism. “The panel of highly qualified and experienced presenters will discuss how the Caribbean can differentiate and enhance its tourism product based on the region’s rich and diverse tangible and intangible heritage,” said Gail Henry, the sustainable tourism product specialist at the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), organizers of the conference. “They will share lessons learned from various projects in which they have been involved and make recommendations, based on their experiences, on how the Caribbean can maximize the potential of heritage tourism,” Ms. Henry added. “For many Caribbean countries the key challenge is how to reconcile the need for a diverse product portfolio of visitor attractions and ‘things to do’ that builds on the region’s unique image, brand and selling points,” said Dr. Nurse, “while at the same time taking into account the rights of citizens to gain access to their heritage, sustaining the local eco-systems and respecting the need for income generating activities.” Delegates will also gain an understanding of the North American market for cultural and heritage tourism products in a presentation by Mary Mahon Jones, a Canadian-based tourism consultant specializing in cultural tourism. Ms. Mahon Jones is a former CEO of British Columbia’s tourism industry association.
The opening plenary will also hear from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), which will highlight its Youth PATH project. This program aims to enhance the capacity of young people to manage natural and cultural heritage sites and create employment for out-of-school youth from marginalized communities. Strategies to encourage community involvement in sustainable tourism will also be explored in a presentation by the Travel Foundation which has been implementing practical programs in the Caribbean and in other regions, focusing on the creation of linkages between tourism and other economic sectors. About BarbadosThe island of Barbados offers the most authentic Caribbean experience with its exceptionally rich culture and history rooted in remarkable landscapes, including The Crane beach, St. Philips, voted one of the world’s sexiest beaches for 2008 by Concierge.com. Barbados is the first and only Zagat-rated Caribbean island with numerous internationally renowned chefs who masterfully put signature spins on local delicacies and traditions. Barbados is also an ideal stage for world-class events and has hosted numerous athletic championships, including the ICC Cricket World Cup Final 2007 and the 2006 PGA World Golf Championship-The Barbados World Cup. Accommodations range from picturesque plantation houses and villas to quaint bed and breakfasts to award-winning five-star resorts. The newly renovated Grantley Adams International Airport offers non-stop and direct service from a Toronto daily on Air Canada and 9 times weekly in the winter and 2 flights weekly out of Montreal. WestJet commenced service November 2, 2009 with 5 flights weekly via Toronto. Barbados was voted #8 in the World by Trip Advisor’s ‘2008 Travelers Choice Destination Awards’ in its Top 100 Destinations category. Follow the Barbados beat and catch up on the latest news via the Barbados Facebook page at www.tinyurl.com/barbadosbeat and Twitter at www.twitter.com/barbadostourism. For more information on travel to Barbados, visit www.visitbarbados.org.