CTO Held Second Sustainable Tourism Policy Workshop

Public sector agencies in CARIFORUM, involved in tourism planning and development, discussed the development of tourism standards and guidelines at a three-day workshop on sustainable tourism policy development in St. Lucia last week.

The workshop also explored issues related to trade in tourism services, environmental management, and product development. This Regional Sustainable Tourism Policy Development and Intersectoral Planning Workshop was the second of two being organized by the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), as part of an eight-million-euro Caribbean Regional Sustainable Tourism Development Program (CRSTDP), funded by the European Union.

It is intended to assist in the development of a regional sustainable tourism policy framework, through consultation and feedback, Mareba Scott, CTO´s sustainable tourism product specialist, said.

“The workshop will enhance national tourism policies, while fostering sustainable tourism strategies, promoting linkages within the region and facilitating the transfer of policy-making and implementation know-how,” Ms. Scott said.

A regional sustainable tourism policy framework is meant to assist National Tourism Organizations in adapting their national strategies and in setting their own sustainable tourism standards. Additionally, it aims to harmonize national policies and ensure the transfer of knowledge, skills and experience among the more and less developed states within the region.