Canadian Expert to Speak at 12th Annual Sustainability & Tourism Conference in Bermuda

Canadian Expert to Speak at 12th Annual Sustainability & Tourism Conference in Bermuda

The Caribbean Tourism Organization announces the addition of Canadian travel expert Jacqueline Kuehnel to its roster of speakers at the 12th Annual Caribbean Conference on Sustainable Tourism Development (STC-12), taking place in Bermuda from April 3-6, 2011. Kuehnel, known for her work in responsible travel and tourism, will address issues related to climate change, corporate social responsibility and sustainable strategy.

She joins a host of local, regional and international experts, including Costas Christ, the National Geographic Traveler Editor at Large who helped officially define the term eco-tourism.

“The tourism industry is now at an historic crossroads where sustainable principles and practices are becoming a key indicator of quality, along with such traditional standards for quality as excellent guest services, a beautiful hotel room, and great food,” says Christ. “Sustainable tourism is here to stay, and it is changing the entire landscape of travel and tourism as we have known it. Those businesses and destinations that understand this now will be the businesses and destinations that successfully compete tomorrow in terms of market growth, in the emerging greener global economy.”

STC-12, which has as its theme “Keeping the Right Balance: Rising Above the Numbers” will address a number of critical issues such as understanding the next generation of experiential travelers, attracting and developing adequate regional human resource capacity to manage the industry efficiently, and developing strategies to marry profitability with sustainability in the new green economy. It is being organized by the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), in collaboration with the Bermuda Department of Tourism and will be held at the Fairmont Southampton.