CTO Conference on Sustainable Tourism to Focus on Diversity

Sustainable tourism through diversity will be the central focus of the 7th Annual Caribbean Conference on Sustainable Tourism Development, also known as the Sustainable Tourism Conference (STC-7), to be held in Trinidad and Tobago in April.

The April 26-29 conference, which takes place at the Tobago Hilton in Trinidad´s sister island, Tobago, will deal with the critical question of whether the Caribbean wants tourism growth or tourism development, Mercedes Silva, the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO)´s sustainable tourism specialist, said.

“If we say development, how can we ensure its sustainability? What elements should be present in a tourism product to be sustainable? What are the options in the Caribbean?” she stated.

She explained that in the last decade Ecotourism has been recognized as a viable form of sustainable tourism development.

“Its capacity to generate economic benefits by contributing to the protection of natural and cultural resources and involving the local communities, has made it an alternative form of tourism, especially in protected and remote rural areas,” Ms. Silva said.

Themed Keeping the Right Balance – Sustainable Tourism Through Diversity, the conference will focus on the initiatives taken in the Caribbean to contribute to the sustainable development of the tourism industry and the potential use of Ecotourism as an instrument to achieve this goal.

The host destination, Tobago, will be one of the case studies.

The program includes plenary sessions, workshops and study tours.