Security and the future of cruises were two of the red hot issues broached Monday and Tuesday in a meeting of the Florida and Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) in Panama. Representatives from the destination countries of these huge deluxe vessels held closed-door talks with execs from the association’s eight cruise lines.
Mexico City will put on its best bib and tucker to host the 2003 World Tourism Expo (WTE) scheduled for September 24 to 27 with the attendance of representatives from as many as 30 countries from all continents.
This major meeting will gather all sectors from the world tourism, national, regional and local authorities, tourism offices, wholesalers and retailers, airlines, other transportation companies, hotel chains, entertainment centers, theme parks and other tourist service providers.
Delegations from 20 hemispheric countries that attended the 18th Inter American Congress on Tourism sponsored by the Organization of American States (OAS) held last week in Guatemala, committed themselves to reactivating the region’s tourist industry, a sector destined to become one of its top economic engines.
Representatives agreed that counting on adequate financial outlay and overall structure, tourism could play a major role in the development of their nations.
An impressive list of dynamic speakers has been confirmed for the 5th annual Caribbean Conference on Sustainable Tourism Development, which takes place in Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis from September 9-12, 2003.
"We have secured some impressive and knowledgeable speakers who will be addressing various facets of sustainable tourism development," said Karen Ford-Warner, deputy secretary general of the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), which is organizing the conference in collaboration with the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) and the host country.
The United States Virgin Islands will host the 26th Annual Caribbean Tourism Conference (CTC-26), October 13-19, at the Marriott Frenchman´s Reef Resort on St. Thomas. Influential travel industry leaders, journalists and hundreds of travel agents will attend this meeting, which brings together the Caribbean´s leading tourism officials to discuss relevant issues that affect the travel industry, Commissioner of Tourism Pamela C. Richards announce.
Featuring a solid infrastructure and the necessary workforce to guarantee a top-notch service, Cuba ranks fifth in the Americas as far as the organization of events is concerned, said Conrado Martinez Corona, chairman of the island nation’s Convention Bureau.
The top executive pointed out this activity is currently contributing 12 percent of all tourists coming to Cuba every year with revenues thrice bigger than what conventional travelers spend since this kind of traveler usually brings someone else in tow.