Internatinal Tour board

We will be there! Countdown to the CTO State of the Industry Conferencee!!!!!The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) is fine-tuning plans to host yet another rewarding State of the Industry Conference (SOTIC) from 15-18 October in Martinique. The conference which brings together policymakers, executives, media and other practitioners in the tourism industry, will explore ways to create a Caribbean experience that reflects the region's unique diversity and authenticity.  This year’s SOTIC will welcome some of the most distinguished figures across the region and the world including the Honorable Governor John P. de Jongh of the United States Virgin Islands (USVI), who will deliver a special address during the Friday 18 October luncheon session at the Le Deck restaurant in the Madiana Conference Center.Speaking ahead of the conference, Governor John de Jongh said, "Saavy travellers are increasingly seeking cultural experiences on their trips and we in the Caribbean, with our glorious diversity of history, ecology and extra-ordinary people, are well placed to provide these experiences for our visitors." The list of speakers confirmed for the SOTIC is growing. Both regional and international experts will discuss topical matters that will help Caribbean nations understand the core nature of their tourism product, develop strategies that will take advantage of the upcoming trends that are shaping the motivations and purchasing decisions of target travellers, and build a stronger platform that will emphasize the unique diversity of the Caribbean. International trends consultant and Avant-Guide Institute CEO, Daniel Levine, in his keynote speech will  explain the concept of “brag-ability” and the role it plays in visitor travel and experience. He will illustrate how Caribbean destinations can keep up with the ever evolving tourism trends that are shaping the way visitors make decisions about their travel.Among the line-up of speakers, is Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace, the former secretary-general of the CTO who will explain why the experience matters most to visitors. The Tourism Commissioner of Martinique, Honorable Karine Roy-Camille will join Mr. Vanderpool-Wallace in emphasizing the power of creating unforgettable experiences for visitors that will create an emotional attachment that will foster repeat visits.A number of international speakers are also expected at the conference including Albert Kluyver, the CEO/ President of the Curacao-based Insel Air, who will touch on the very pressing issues surrounding regional airlift and major elements for improvement that could increase the efficiency and volume of the transportation sector in the Caribbean; Paul Cohen, Vice-president of US-based travel services company, Optriant, will focus heavily on the emergence of the so-called BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) and what impacts this will have on Caribbean destinations; Dwayne Bishop, Lead Creative, Oppusseven will join the panel, 'There's an App for that!' in talking about social media and how it adds to the bottom-line. Click on the photo below to view SOTIC AT-A-GLANCE. You can also join the SOTIC online community on the CTO Facebook and Twitter channels. Also, our PR team met with the Ultimate Guru of Cool, Daniel Levine, in an interview, visit CTO TV in the right panel to listen.SOTIC kicks off with press launchOfficials from the Martinique Tourism Authority and the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) held a press conference in Martinique on Tuesday, 10 September to officially launch SOTIC 2013 in the host country.  Commissioner, Karine Roy-Camille, emphasized the benefits that Martinique is expecting to gain by hosting the conference, as well as preparations to welcome delegates to arrive from as early as 14 October. Secretary-General of the CTO, Hugh Riley reiterated the vital role the SOTIC plays as the Caribbean’s leading tourism convention, including an overview of the thought-provoking sessions that attendees can look forward to. Visit the CTO Facebook page, to see photos from this event.Tourism Satellite Account Workshop at SOTIC  What is a Tourism Satellite Account (TSA)? How does it measure current and potential economic benefits and impacts? Why is this essential as a diagnostic and a planning tool? Can TSAs improve the competitiveness of our vital tourism sector? Is your country TSA ready?  These and other questions will be addressed in a TSA sensitization workshop for tourism leaders and decision-makers on 16 October, 2013 from 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. in the Taino Room of the Madiana Conference Center in Martinique.The workshop, which will be jointly hosted by the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), will precede the formal opening of the 2013 State of the Industry Conference (SOTIC).CTO’s director of research & information technology, Winfield Griffith, explained that TSAs are the way forward.  “By the end of the workshop participants will have a clear perspective of how to set up a TSA so that we can bring our approaches to planning, decision-making and reporting on tourism in line with UNWTO global standards.”Experts in the implementation of TSA who are scheduled to deliver presentations include the IDB's operations senior associate, Natasha Boyce; the programme officer responsible for statistics and Tourism Satellite Accounts at the UNWTO, Clara van der Pol; the director general of the Statistical Institute of Jamaica, Carol Coy; and TSA consultant, Maureen Blokland.To register interested parties should contact Gillian Hunte at gillianh@caribtourism.com or (246) 427-5242 or visit www.onecaribbean.org. 14 countries ready for Youth CongressOn the final day of the three-day conference "junior tourism ministers" from several CTO member countries will conjoin in a lively debate on important  tourism issues. The Friday session anchors the State of the Industry Conference with a thought-provoking and spirited exchange of views among our future leaders of the Region. The Caribbean’s best hope of sustainability is to embed the right principles and entrust our future to the sharpest minds. The session will be moderated by the 2012 Tourism Youth Congress winner O'Brian Lewis from Jamaica. So far 14 countries have confirmed their participation in the CTO Caribbean Tourism Youth Congress. They are Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Jamaica, Martinique, Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Eustatius, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, St. Martin and Turks and Caicos.US$40,000 awarded to Caribbean nationalsFifteen Caribbean nationals are gaining a boost in their academic and professional pursuits with support from the CTO Foundation. This year, the Foundation awarded over US$40,000 in scholarships and study grants to students from 10 CTO member countries- Barbados, the Bahamas, Bermuda, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Martinique, St. Vincent, and St. Lucia. "We at the CTO have recognized that it is becoming increasingly difficult for persons wanting to further their studies to access the necessary resources to do so," commented Bonita Morgan, the head of regional resource development at the CTO and the Foundation secretary. "The Foundation is very pleased that it is able to give continuous support to individuals who are well-deserving of the kind of assistance needed to help further themselves academically and professionally."Scholarships of up to US$7,617 were awarded to 5 students pursuing studies, while ten students received study grants of up to US$2000 each.Scholarship recipients were Shamma Phillipe-Harris of St. Lucia, MSc. Tourism Management, New York University; Marsha Banton of Jamaica, MSc. Tourism and Hospitality Management, University West Indies, Jamaica; Isabelle Limea of Martinique, MSc. Tourism Management, Marne-la-vallée university, France; and Aletha Connely of Guyana, MSc. Tourism and Hospitality, University of the West Indies, Cave Hill, Barbados. Kervin Hinson of St. Vincent received the Audrey Palmer Hawks Scholarship valued at US$2,130. The strong and continuous support from major sponsors, Ms. Morgan stated, has been invaluable to the sustainability of the scholarship programme."Over the years we have received tremendous contributions from several sponsors such as Interval International who remain committed to the CTO Foundation every year." She also made mention of a sponsored ticket by LIAT airlines to one of the scholarship recipients.From its inception in 1997, the CTO Foundation has provided more than US$760,000 in scholarships and grants to more than 200 deserving Caribbean nationals pursuing tourism-related studies.Navigate to the right panel to read testimonials from three past scholarship recipients.  Hospitality Assured broadening horizons  CTO director of resource mobilization and development, Bonita Morgan, conducted a series of workshops between July and August as part of the CTO's mission to enhance the Caribbean region's  human resource capacity, particularly within the hospitality and tourism sectors through theHospitality Assured  (HA) programme.   A Hospitality Assured Advisor Workshop was held from 26-30 August at the Hotel Alexandrina in St. Vincent for key professionals who will work in support of the accreditation programme, Hospitality Assured (HA)."This important workshop targeted business advisors who will be trained in support of the Hospitality Assured programme so that the programme  can be continued outside of the CTO efforts," Ms. Morgan commented.   Fifteen advisors fromeight Caribbean countries including St. Kitts, Nevis, Dominica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Anguilla, Belize, Barbados, and Grenada participated in this introductory workshop and left with further knowledge and insight about the  significance of establishing the HA programme in their business establishments. During the first week of September, a Train-the-Trainer workshop, developed by the CTO in collaboration with HEART Trust, a Jamaica based national training agency, was conducted for tour guides wanting to learn ways to improve the overall manner in which they deliver the services they offer. The sessions were held at the Runaway Bay resort in Jamaica.The training sessions were conducted to provide a practical guide for tour guides to follow."This training programme, designed specifically for tour guides, is a follow through from a previous workshop conducted by international tour guide trainer, Ms. Iris Barry," Ms. Morgan stated."In the first session, they were trained at the highest level of learning. These sessions are now  focused on the lower levels of learning which involve more activities to engage their understanding and application of tour-guiding principles as well as to provide more practical lessons for the trainees to follow."Seventeen tour guides participated in the 4-6 September workshop. The participating countries were Belize, Dominica, Guyana, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grendines, Jamaica and Barbados.The CTO and HEART Trust have been working tirelessly over the last few years to develop a Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ), a training qualification for tour guides with set national standards, to raise the level of professionalism of tour guides in the region. "As part of the Caribbean Vocational Qualification, trainees follow a competency learning system, that is, a progressive course of study accompanied by a learner guide and interactive CD that is practical and user-friendly," Ms. Morgan explained. Other upcoming workshops scheduled for the month of October include a train-the-trainer programme for taxi drivers which will be conducted in St. Maarten from 7 to 11 October and a Management of Service Quality workshop, organized in conjunction with the Trinidad and Tobago Hospitality and Tourism Institute (TTHTI) from 1-4 October.Inside CTO UK The CTO UK Chapter has been busy with events and activities. In this feature, we highlight the Love Caribbean special offers campaign, CTO UK Crisis Management Seminar, CTO UK Tourism Month, BBQ & Networking Event and the National Wedding Show. Love Caribbean CTO Special Offers Campaign To kick start Caribbean Month in the UK for September 2013, the Caribbean Tourism Organisation launched a special offers campaign following the launch of the newFacebook, Twitter and Blog pages under the theme ‘Love Caribbean’. The aim of the campaign is to increase awareness and bookings for the Caribbean region. The special offers flyers were circulated to over 8,500 UK travel agents and homeworkers including Caribbean Training Programme agents, 21,000 UK consumers; and were also promoted via social media. Agents were encouraged to participate in the campaign by promoting the special offers through shop window displays, email blasts, social media or special events held during the Caribbean month. Agents who participated in the campaign and logged their bookings were eligible to win shopping vouchers. Click below to view flyers.  Crisis Management SeminarOn Thursday 19 September, a half day Crisis Management Seminar was held for CTO UK Chapter members. The line up of speakers and topics included Johnson JohnRose, CTO’s Communications Specialist, who illustrated how different types of crises and disasters are handled within the Caribbean region and which agency/division specifically, handled these. Jeremy Skidmore outlined exactly what the media needed in a crisis. Jeremy has been a journalist for more than 20 years and still writes regularly for various publications.  He’s been editor of the trade paper Travel Weekly and has written for just about every UK national newspaper and dozens of websites.  He is an expert in crisis communication and runs media training courses for several high profile travel companies. Angela Hills, Destinations Services Manager from ABTA discussed the role that ABTA plays in a crisis and how best to work with them. Finally, there is nothing like learning from example and there were case studies from two destinations. Jean-Marc Flambert, Director of Marketing UK and Europe, Saint Lucia Tourist Board and former Director UK and Ireland of the Sri Lanka Tourist Board presented a Sri Lanka case study - Lessons Learnt – Tsunami. And Judy McCluskey, Agency Principle, McCluskey International presented a Jamaica case study on behalf of the Jamaica Tourist Board.  ~Caribbean Month~ Late Summer BBQ and Networking Event  65 CTO UK Chapter Members celebrated Caribbean Month at a Late Summer BBQ on 19 September at the newly refurbished Kensington Close Hotel in London. Although the inclement weather meant the event couldn't be held outside this did not hinder the party and networking mood! Members enjoyed a BBQ buffet, drinks and entertainment by Kirk Thorne who got everyone into the Caribbean mood.    The National Wedding Show The National Wedding show London is the UK’s largest wedding show which receives an average of 18,000 visitors over the 3-day event.  The Show was held at the Earls Court Exhibition Centre in London from 27 – 29 September 2013. Members joining the CTO Stand included Anguilla Tourist Board, Grand Lucayan Resort – Bahamas and Turks & Caicos Island Tourist Board.  Other members opted to participate in the CTO brochure bank for the Show including British Virgin Islands Tourist Board, The Bahamas Tourist Office, Saint Lucia Tourist Board and the St.Vincent and the Grenadines.  Life as a CTO intern   Each year, the CTO opens its doors to students wanting to undertake internships to aid their studies or for professional research and development purposes. Within the past six months, eight students enrolled in several regional and international universities had the opportunity to work with the CTO for a stipulated period of time. These students who came from diversed academic backgrounds performed different roles within the various departments at the CTO gaining experience in the work of the organization with the objective of deepening their knowledge and understanding of the regional development agency. Read more>> Meet Patrick Alleyne “Money is the blood of the organization”~ Patrick Alleyne, CTO accountant Patrick Alleyne is among the most recent additions to the CTO family, joining the team at the headquarters as accountant in January of this year, where he oversees the regional development agency's finances.   Professional life before CTOWorking at CTO, he stated, is a whole new experience. “I am not used to managing other people’s money. Well, not for a non-profit organization!”, Mr. Alleyne said. He joined CTO with vast experience in the accounting field, working in off-shore banking and the travel industry within Barbados for over 17 years.He obtained a BSc. in accounting from the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill, but chose to start a career in music after graduating. He was one of the first members of the Cavite chorale and became the director for eight years.His role at  the CTOMr. Alleyne provides accounting, financial management and control services to the organization. He monitors closely the funds that circulate throughout the organization- mainly in the form of membership dues and donor contribution- and all other expenses. He works closely with the director of finances to ensure that timely and precise data is available for bi-annual reporting to the Board. He maintains the general ledger for the organization and provides periodic records to the director in an effort to maintain proper  financial management.Describe the value of your position to the CTO?“Money is the blood of the organization”, Mr. Alleyne emphasized. He believes that managing the company's funds is paramount-whether for profit or not-for-profit. "It is important to know exactly where what goes and where it comes from," he added. Life outside of the CTOUnhesitant was he to mention “liming” as his typical off-the-job activity.  He has a strong passion for music which explains his great familiarity with playing the piano and active involvement with the Myriad singers of the St. Michael Church. Not a word on whether he can actually sing.