Significant advantages arise for those tourism related companies that are able to transform through any diversity in order to remain competitive in today’s changing global tourism landscape. The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) will examine the negative forces and positive tourism recoveries in a general session at the upcoming Caribbean Conference on Sustainable Tourism Development taking place 26-29 Aug. 2019 at the Beachcombers Hotel in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

The panel titled “Transformation for Tourism Evolution” will be held on 29 Aug. from 10:45 a.m. until noon. The session will illustrate significant advantages gained by those who were innovative and creative during times the tourism market was disrupted. Local tourism entities are largely categorised as micro, small and medium enterprises, and their ability to harness transformative advances is an existential imperative for ensuring their sustained relevance in an ever-changing geo-political climate. This session takes a critical look at new opportunities to regenerate the regional tourism industry in the areas of market access, disaster recovery and climate resilience as a means of increasing tourism competitiveness and sustainability.

Maria Fowell, tourism specialist, economic development policy unit for the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), will moderate the panel, which will also hear from Hon. Camillo Gonsalves, St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ minister of finance & economic planning, sustainable development and information technology. Kieran St. Omer,research officer, strategic planning and projects at the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB), will speak to the topic of “Opportunities and Threats from a Move Toward Digital Currency.”

The conference, otherwise known as the Sustainable Tourism Conference (#STC2019), is organised by CTO in partnership with the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Tourism Authority (SVGTA).

Under the theme “Keeping the Right Balance: Tourism Development in an Era of Diversification,” industry experts participating in #STC2019 will address the urgent need for a transformational, disruptive, and regenerative tourism product to meet ever-rising challenges. The full conference programme can be viewed via https://www.caribbeanstc.com/program/

To register for the conference, visit https://www.caribbeanstc.com/register. Rates are available for general delegates including CTO members and non-members, St. Vincent & the Grenadines residents, travel agents and students (both local and international rates).