The Internet has become such a powerful tool that it now enables small Caribbean countries like the Cayman Islands, to act as its own travel agent rather than rely on foreign countries to drive tourists to their destinations. Furthermore, the Internet and digital technology can upscale the travel experience, increasing the likelihood that tourists will recommend that destination to their family and friends, according to the Secretary of General Caribbean Tourism Organization, Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace, who spoke at the Cayman Business Outlook conference in Grand Cayman last week. “The cost of communication to call foreign countries used to be so high that very few phone calls were made,” said Mr. Vanderpool-Wallace. “Now, you can connect a telephone to your laptop anywhere in the world at rates that are unbelievable.”

Global Hospitality Resources, Inc. welcomed the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) as a new sponsor of the Global Hotel Network. CTO joins 30 other leading tourism organizations and academic institutions as a GHN Sponsor. The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), with headquarters in Barbados and marketing operations in New York, London and Toronto, is the Caribbean´s tourism development agency and comprises membership of over 30 member governments and a myriad of private sector entities.

The Caribbean Tourism Organization Foundation will honor past chairmen and major contributors to the CTO Foundation and the Audrey Palmer Hawks Memorial Scholarship Fund at the CTO Foundation Cocktail Reception, Auction & Awards Dinner to be held on February 10 at the Copacabana in New York City. Funds raised from the auction and dinner will go towards educational scholarships for Caribbean nationals interested in pursuing careers in the tourism industry.

Venezuela has reactivated in membership in the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO). CTO chairman, Pamela Richards, had made the announcement at the end of the recently held 28th annual Caribbean Tourism Conference (CTC-28) in St. Thomas, USVI.

Tourism success should be measured by the quality of the product and the level of visitor satisfaction and not primarily by the number of visitors to the destination, Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace, the secretary general of the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) commented last week. “Therefore, the Caribbean must shift its focus from headcount to quality and from marketing to product improvement in order to create an unforgettable experience for the visitor,” he said.

The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) announced last month in US Virgin Islands that Dr. Jean Holder, former secretary general and an honorary member of the Board of Directors, will represent the regional tourism body on the Board of Directors of the Cricket World Cup 2007. The CTO ministers and directors meeting at the recent 28th Annual Caribbean Tourism Conference (CTC-28) in St. Thomas, USVI, asked Dr. Holder to continue representing the CTO on the board which is overseeing preparations for the 2007 International Cricket Council (ICC)´s Cricket World Cup in the Caribbean.