Heads of state from 21 Latin American countries, plus Spain and Portugal, agreed in the recently concluded Summit of Bavaro held in the Dominican Republic to give tourist development a powerful leg up, the regional leaders underscored in the event’s final declaration.
Two member nations of the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) were among the 17 new countries that exhibited at World Travel Market (WTM) in London: Aruba and St. Maarten were among those that contributed to making this year’s WTM the largest ever in its 23-year history.The four day event, one of the premier global exhibitions for the travel industry, brought together around 5,000 of the world’s leading travel and tourism companies from over 183 countries.
Before rolling down the curtains, the 20th edition of Havana’s International Fair awarded the best products, stands and attending countries. Two days before the official closing ceremony, over $70 million in commercial contracts ($62.1 million) and foreign investment ($8 million) had already been signed.
Cuba’s destinations of Varadero and Jardines del Rey will host the World Convention of TUI, the Germany-based tour operator, scheduled to take place from Nov. 27 to Dec. 18 with the attendance of 600 delegates from roughly a dozen countries under a commercial outlay.
Central American presidents will huddle next Dec. 13 in San Jose, Costa Rica, to hold their 22nd Summit Meeting. Tourism and culture are high on the presidents’ agenda, Costa Rican Minister of Foreign Affairs Roberto Trovar announced.Mr. Trovar said in a meeting with members of the Foreign Press Association (APEX is the acronym in Spanish) the summit will open up an opportunity for statesmen to broach the implementation of a promotional strategy on international tourism toward Central America known as “multi-destinations.”
The promotion of ecological and adventure tourism are high on the list of Cuba’s priorities for the upcoming World Travel Market and the London Seminar on Tourism Development, Cuban Vice Minister of Tourism Eduardo Rodriguez de la Vega said.The Cuban official added his country’s delegation will show the realities of a safe destination for both modalities. Mr. Rodriguez said that Cuba will have its own stand in the World Travel Market fairgrounds and the delegation is expected to present a seminar aimed at showcasing the nation’s enormous potentials, as well as at informing regulations in force on environmental protection. Meetings with major tour operators dealing with the Cuban destination are scheduled.