Bahamas Tourism to Host Small Island Developing States Conference

The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism is hosting a Small Island Developing States Conference (SIDS) in Nassau from February 19 to 20, 2014 at the Melia Nassau Beach Resort, Cable Beach.

The two-day conference will be held in conjunction with the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) under the theme: “Tourism as a Key Sector for Development in Island States”.

The conference is being held as the Ministry of Tourism celebrates 50 years of existence and February being dubbed ‘Sustainable Tourism Month”.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, Harrison Thompson shed light on the upcoming conference during a press conference on Thursday, January 30, 2014 at the British Colonial Hilton.

“We will be able to address a range of relevant tourism issues impacting island destinations,” he said “So, it must be said that this is a critical undertaking.”

The Secretary General of the UNWTO, Dr. Taleb Rifai as well as the Caribbean Tourism Organization Secretary General, Hugh Riley is expected to attend the conference.

“Tourism, now, more than ever, is considered a major player in world economies. Furthermore, we see tourism expanding, accounting for more and more of the income of various nations,” Mr. Thompson said.

The UNWTO reported impressive growth in tourism around the world in 2013; stating that international tourist arrivals grew by five percent and the UNWTO forecasts the trend to continue this year.

International arrivals were up by 52 million last year, achieving a record 1.08 billion in 2013. According to the UNWTO, Asia and the Pacific regions are the big leaders in growth, followed by Africa, Europe and the Americas.

“We in the Caribbean and The Bahamas must keep pace. We too must always look to grow our tourism product. However, it only makes sense to do this in a sustainable way so that we are not looking at quick success and then a sharp drop in our results,” Mr. Thompson said.

He also noted that the Ministry of Tourism is celebrating 50 years; and each month focus will be placed on a particular aspect of tourism.

Photo: The Ministry of Tourism will be hosting a Small Island Developing States conference (SIDS) from February 19 to 20, 2014 at the Melia Nassau Beach Resort, Cable Beach. PS Thompson made the announcement during a press conference Thursday, January 30, 2014.