Bridgetown (TAN): Of all the problems staring Caribbean tourism in the eye, climate risk happens to be the most challenging one. The regional tourism conference to be held in St. Vincent and the Grenadines in August 2019 will focus on just that.
The 2019 Caribbean Conference on Sustainable Tourism Development, also known as the Sustainable Tourism Conference (STC), will discuss ‘Keeping the Right Balance: Tourism Development in an Era of Diversification’, with the immediate need for a ‘transformational, disruptive, and regenerative tourism product to meet the ever-rising challenges’ in mind.
Organised by Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), in collaboration with the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Tourism Authority (SVGTA), the conference is scheduled for August 27 to 29, at the Beachcombers Hotel in St. Vincent.
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Amanda Charles, the CTO’s sustainable tourism development specialist, said: “Caribbean economies are facing tremendous pressure to respond to changes that are impacting the business of tourism and innovations are required to address urgent matters such as climate risk, waste reduction, community involvement and the so-called internet of things.”
“STC 2019 will be pivotal in bringing to the fore such issues that impact on the future sustainability and growth of Caribbean tourism,” she added.
The conference will be hosted at a time when the demand for a ‘greener, more climate resilient’ society has reached its height. St. Vincent and the Grenadines has been pushing for several causes – the construction of a geothermal plant to balance the country’s hydro and solar energy capacity, and restoration of the Ashton Lagoon in Union Island.
“The need for Caribbean destinations to find development models that lean heavily towards destination sustainability is essential and so we must pay careful attention to the way we plan, manage and market our destinations’ tourism development,” Chief Executive Offcier of SVGTA, Glen Beache, said.
He added: “St. Vincent and the Grenadines is pleased to be hosting STC 2019, at a time when we are seeking to maintain the balance and maintain SVG’s reputation as an unspoilt destination.”
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The conference is also expected to highlight issues such as the importance of implementing greater preparedness and resilience to climate change, upgrading tourism planning and the management of resources to improve consumer consciousness, regional benchmarks and best practices in community-based tourism, business innovation and destination competitiveness, and financial technologies for medium, small and micro enterprises.
Speakers will address how tourism and local livelihoods can benefit from using the natural and man-made assets of Caribbean society.
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