SAN JUAN -- The
30th Annual Caribbean Tourism Conference, now underway at the
Puerto Rico Convention Center here features a strong mix of
information sessions, networking opportunities and marks the return
of a trade show, which made its debut at last year's event.
More than 600
tourism industry officials are expected to be in attendance,
representing Caribbean governments, hotels, airlines, cruise lines,
travel agents, tour operators, strategic partners and
media.
The theme of the
conference, which is organized in collaboration with the Puerto
Rico Tourism Co., is "The Next Generation: Learning from the Past,
Preparing for the Future."
The agenda includes
live streaming video of several conference events, a session on the
impact of global warming on the tourism industry and workshops for
agents.
Several academic
voices in the field of climate change will share information on the
effects of climate change on the Caribbean tourism industry and
offer possible solutions on how the industry can reduce its
contribution to the problem.
"Climate change is
a primary concern for all sectors of the global economy, especially
those of us in the tourism industry," said Hugh Riley, the CTO's
director of marketing for the Americas.
"Our goal for this
conference is to learn more about how the changing climate affects
our destinations. We also want to determine how we can help stem
the tide through our industry's own practices."
Other events during
the conference include sessions on social networking, Internet
marketing, a Youth Congress, the Conde Nast Traveler "My Caribbean"
essay competition.
To view the
conference sessions live or to access the audio, visit www.insidethecaribbean.com or www.onecaribbean.org.
To
contact reporter Gay Nagle Myers, send e-mail to [email protected].