The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) is creating a plan for systematic development of community-based tourism as a viable niche and will present the details during the upcoming Caribbean Conference on Sustainable Tourism Development. The event, otherwise known as the Sustainable Tourism Conference (#STC2019), is scheduled for August 26-29, 2019, at the Beachcombers Hotel in St. Vincent and is organized by CTO in partnership with the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Tourism Authority (SVGTA).
At a general session titled “Community-based Tourism Driving Tourism Innovations and Experiences,” delegates will be presented with robust market research that encapsulates visitors’ willingness to pay for innovative tourism experiences across the Caribbean. The session will also dive into how community tourism supports product diversification and differentiation and can enhance community participation in tourism, with the ultimate benefit being the creation of a distinctive and responsible tourism brand.
The CTO has worked with regional partner Compete Caribbean Partnership Facility, a development program that focuses on innovative and practical solutions that stimulate economic growth, productivity and competitiveness, to develop the market research.
Session presenters include a Compete Caribbean representative who will address the need for cooperation in tourism to ensure local enterprises—particularly micro, small and medium enterprises—are integrated in the tourism value chain. Judy Karwacki, president of Small Planet Consulting and a community-based tourism development specialist, will introduce a community-based tourism toolkit commissioned by the CTO.
Under the theme “Keeping the Right Balance: Tourism Development in an Era of Diversification,” industry experts participating in #STC2019 will address the need for a transformational, disruptive and regenerative tourism product to meet ever-rising challenges.
The full conference program can be viewed via https://www.caribbeanstc.com/program/. To register for the conference, visit https://www.caribbeanstc.com/register.
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