ST GEORGE’S, Grenada, Jul 10 2015 – Tourism Ministers from the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, representatives from the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, the Caribbean Tourism Organisation, and the hotel and tourism industry, met here Thursday to evaluate ways of revitalising the region’s Tourism Industry – paying specific attention to opportunities for collaboration.
This year’s theme, “OECS Economic Union: Pushing the Tourism Envelope,” implores the delegates to explore, among other issues, the ease of travel within the region; the World Bank Tourism Competitiveness Project; and opportunities for collaboration between the OECS and Martinique, as well as Cuba.
The change in travel patterns of contemporary travelers, as well as the emergence of new tourism powerhouse destinations, such as Gambia, and the opening up of Cuba were all issues stressed in the opening ceremony.
These, among others, were reasons for increased cooperation and reassessments of the ways we market and develop our tourism products, said Dr. Didadus Jules, Director General of the OECS Commission.
“We can ill afford not to devise innovative strategies to increase our share of the international tourism pie, which by all accounts is diminishing due primarily to stiffening competition by new and emerging destinations,” he said.
