Barbados’ Richard Sealy Elected Chairman of CTO

Barbados' Tourism and International Transport Minister Richard Sealy is the new Chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO). He replaces United States Virgin Islands Commissioner of Tourism Beverly Nicholson-Doty, who ended her two-year term on Wednesday.

Sealy has pledged to work with all entities in the region to deal with some of the vexing problems in regional tourism. The Barbados minister will shortly name his appointee for the post of Chairman of the CTO Board of Directors.

According to the CTO's Constitution, the board chairman and the chairman of the Council of Ministers and Commissioners of Tourism must come from the same member country. Five vice-chairs were also elected to serve on the Executive Committee of the board of directors.

They are the USVI representing the US territories; St Eustatius, representing the Dutch Caribbean; Martinique representing the French Caribbean; Guyana and Trinidad & Tobago, representing the Independent Caricom countries; and the Turks & Caicos Islands representing the British Overseas Territories.

Each of these member countries will form the executive committee of the board of directors, which will be completed with representatives from the private sector. Wednesday's vote was in keeping with the CTO constitution, which mandates that elections must be held every two years.

Source: The Jamaica Observer