GROS ISLET, St. Lucia – The Most Hon. Dr. Hubert Minnis, Prime Minister of The Bahamas, urged CARICOM tourism leaders to explore new ways that the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) can more effectively work with member countries to contribute to the growth of tourism in the region.
Prime Minister Minnis is the representative for tourism in CARICOM’s Quasi-Cabinet. The Prime Minister and Allen Chastanet, Prime Minister of St. Lucia and CARICOM Chairman, met with ministers of tourism and senior officials on Tuesday evening, July 2, ahead of Wednesday’s specially convened meeting of the CTO Council of Tourism ministers and commissioners.
“Prime Minister Chastanet and I challenged CARICOM ministers of tourism to develop a strategy paper on how member countries might use the resources presently available to us to execute research,” said Prime Minister Minnis. “It is only through the use of empirical data that we will be able to effectively implement marketing and productive development strategies that will improve our tourism products and better the lives of our citizens.”
The CTO acts as the region’s tourism development agency. Its vision is to “position the Caribbean as the most desirable, year-round, warm weather destination.”
While marketing the region has always been a major pillar of the organization’s mandate, regional leaders are now suggesting that the CTO expand its research arm and make data collection and analysis a priority.
