BARBADOS – The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) is set to host a virtual forum celebrating World Tourism Day 2024 on Friday, September 27 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. ET/AT. The event will be held under the theme “Resilience and Renewal: Building a Peaceful Future”, aligned with United Nations Tourism’s global theme of “Tourism and Peace”.
The forum aims to unite industry leaders, academic experts and regional as well as international development partners to explore tourism’s role in promoting peace, understanding and sustainable development in the Caribbean.
This year’s event provides a platform for critical discussions. Participants will explore how tourism can be a catalyst for peace-building and crisis recovery, which is essential for a region often affected by natural disasters and global challenges. Strengthening resilience and crisis management strategies is critical to ensuring tourism’s positive impact on community well-being.
Timothy Marshall, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the International Institute For Peace Through Tourism (IIPT), will deliver the feature address. Remarks will be shared by CTO Secretary-General & CEO Dona Regis-Prosper; CTO Chairman Ian Gooding-Edghill, Barbados’ Minister of Tourism and International Transport; Sanovnik Destang, the newly appointed president of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA); and Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary General of UN Tourism, who will deliver a pre-recorded message.
A key highlight of the forum will be sessions featuring leading voices in tourism and sustainability.
John Byles, Executive Deputy Chairman of Chukka Caribbean Adventures, will lead a discussion on crisis communication and management. Case studies on the impact of Hurricane Beryl and the region’s recovery efforts will be delivered by Faylene King, Director of Tourism for St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Adrian Thomas, Minister for Tourism, The Creative Economy and Culture in Grenada.
Aljoscha Wothke, representative of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in Tobago, will address gender equity and empowerment through regenerative tourism; Lori Ann Pollard, Good Deeds Day Regional Coordinator – Caribbean for The Volunteer Center of Trinidad and Tobago, will talk about the role of voluntourism in fostering peace and community resilience; while St. Clair Soleyn, Director of Policy and Planning with the Ministry of Tourism, Civil Aviation, Transportation and Investment in Antigua and Barbuda, will explore regenerative tourism.
The forum will also highlight youth perspectives on tourism as an instrument for peace. Keyana Warner, winner of the 2024 Tropical Shipping Regional Tourism Youth Congress and Junior Minister of Tourism from Nevis, will share insights on empowering future generations through tourism.
“This year’s theme underscores the transformative power of tourism,” said Regis-Prosper. “The Caribbean’s tourism sector has long been a driver of economic growth, but now more than ever, we must ensure that our development strategies are people-centered and peace-oriented. World Tourism Day 2024 allows us to reimagine a future where tourism enhances our resilience and champions environmental stewardship, inclusivity, and a harmonious global community.”
The article CTO to host virtual forum on World Tourism Day 2024: Embracing resilience, renewal, and a peaceful future first appeared in TravelDailyNews International.
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