Annual Caribbean Tourism Conference Concludes in Aruba

With a massive turnout of delegates from virtually all Caribbean nations, Aruba was home this week to the 27th Annual Caribbean Tourism Conference that came to a close Wednesday after dealing with some of the major issues affecting the region´s leisure industry right now.

Under a slogan reading "Caribbean Tourism: Driving Business in a Global Economy" the gathering was sponsored by the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) and the Aruba Tourism Authority (ATA). CTO´s President Pamela Richards concluded in her farewell address that the meeting had proved a great success to the benefit of all the attending parties.

In all, 794 delegates, including 203 travel agents attended the gathering, compared to the 676 who did it last year. Three countries are now bidding to host the CTC in 2005: Puerto Rico, Bermuda and St. Kitts and Nevis. Mrs. Richards said the CTC executive will pick up and announced the next venue shortly.

The Caribbean Tourism Conference is the region´s major event for travel industry leaders and executives from hotel chains, travel agencies, airlines, cruise companies, tour operators, governmental officials and top experts in the sector, as well as for individuals interested in doing business with the Caribbean.

During his opening speech, Aruba´s Prime Minister N.O. Oduber insisted on the need to mount a hands-on promotional offensive in the Caribbean´s major markets, like the U.S. and Europe, as well as to work on the rapid development of non-traditional markets in Latin America and the Caribbean.