All stakeholders in the hospitality industry should play an equal role in policy planning for sustainable tourism development, Luis Chaves, adviser to the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), told participants at the 7th Conference on Sustainable Tourism Development (STC-7) that has drawn the attention to host Tobago. Chaves, whose presentation dealt with "Policy Making and Integration as a Key Starting Point for Sustainable Tourism Intersectoral Planning," told delegates there was a need for communication and consultation among stakeholders, which he said would allow for greater coordination and minimize divergences among them.

Cuba assured here Thursday that its tourism policy is governed by the need to contribute to socio-economic development from a sustainable base, in order to protect the national and regional environment. Cuban Tourism Ministry planning director Gilberto Rios talked about the progress of Cuba in this sector, in a presentation at the 7th Caribbean Conference on Development of Sustainable Tourism, which will close Friday.