KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaica will join other regional states in discussions on the effect of disasters on their economies, in Grenada on October 12.
According to Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett, the discussions will take place during the “Recover & Rebuild” session of the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s (CTO) State of the Tourism Industry Conference (SOTIC), which takes place in Grenada October 10-13.
He said that the Recover & Rebuild session will be an in-depth four-hour segment, during which leading experts in disaster preparedness and mitigation, recovery, funding, airport development and maintenance, airlines, cruise lines, telecommunications and media will discuss the issues with representatives of the hotel sector, and member countries that have experienced and recovered from major catastrophes.
“Recover & Rebuild will focus on the economic cost of the disasters, including the potential impact on gross domestic product, employment, the cost to rebuild and the recovery time,” Bartlett said. He added that key recommendations emerging from Recover & Rebuild would form part of a comprehensive document, which will be of international significance.
Bartlett urged everyone in the travel, hospitality and tourism industry, including airlines, airport managers, cruise lines, cruise port managers, hoteliers, tour operators, travel agents and Ministers and Directors of Tourism across the region, as well as in source markets, especially those in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, to attend both the SOTIC in Grenada, and the UNWTO meeting in Montego Bay, Jamaica on November 27-29.
He added that the “two crucial events” will help to set the course for recovery and growth over the next year and shape the future of tourism for the Caribbean region.
Balford Henry
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