CTO Is Projecting Continued Growth in 2005

The Barbados-based Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) is predicting continued growth for the region´s tourism industry in 2005, increasing by at least 5 % over the 2004 results, CTO´s Director of Information Management and Research, Arley Sobers, has predicted.

After recalling that during 2004 a record 21.8 million stayover visitors and 20 million cruise ship passengers visited the region, Mr Sobers said the projection is based on the current trend in the industry and reservations already booked.

CTO estimates that at least US$21 billion had been spent by visitors coming to the region last year, based on the strength of the record year for both tourist arrivals and an increase in hotel occupancy rates and revenue per room.

In an effort to further promote what the region has to offer, the CTO has organized a special round table discussion at the forthcoming seventh Annual Caribbean Conference on Sustainable Tourism Development (STC-7), designed to help delegates identify avenues to market Caribbean products. STC-7 is slated for Tobago from April 26-29.

The European Commission has contributed US$4.03 million to to finance four major sustainable tourism development programs. The money is part of an overall US$10.76 million, which the EC has allocated for tourism programs in the Caribbean.