SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Allen Chastanet, Minister of Tourism, St. Lucia and Chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) cautioned the region that if concerted efforts and critical decision were not taken in the interest of sustainable tourism development, the region would lose market share to global competition.
Senator Chastanet, addressed delegates of the Caribbean Media Exchange on Sustainable Tourism (CMEx) in San Juan, Puerto Rico at their semi-annual conference which ran from May 15-19, 2008. Chastanet, a founding member of the media organization, which has as one of its objective, to improve the quality of media coverage of sustainable tourism in the Caribbean, have left a resounding impact on the media present.
Allen Chastanet
Javon Griffith, CMEx youth delegate and Junior Minister of Tourism of Barbados, 2004-2005 raised the issue in the forum that what we are really talking about should be sustainable development and not sustainable tourism. Haitian journalist Jean Charles of Caribbean Net News echoed a similar sentiment.
Chastanet’s stirring presentation spoke of sustainable development in its essential meaning as classified by Wikipedia.com “Sustainable development is a pattern of resource use that aims to meet human needs while preserving the natural environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but in the indefinite future. It is regarded as comprising three constituent parts: social, environment and economic.”
The media fraternity has been called into action to fulfil CMEx’s mandate to increase the input of the media in the design of sustainable tourism policies, highlighting the necessity of tourism to the economies of small island states.
The stage was set to examine the theme of Embracing the Diaspora, Connecting Communities with journalists from the Caribbean & North America, youth delegates, representatives from the private and public sector: hospitality, civil society and government. Taking the issues to the media Chastanet stated that the Diaspora should be targeted in the same fashion as the “mainstream” market, he further called for a study to be undertaken to examine how to formalize and sustain the relationship of Caribbean Diaspora.
Chastanet’s agenda if perceived as a no-nonsense approach to the development of the region would be a major force in creating resounding change, placing the region on the right trajectory for success. He said “There should be no more lip service. It [the Diaspora] is a huge segment of our market that is grossly under-tapped and the same level of advertisements that we put out for the mainstream market, we should put into our Diaspora”.
He drew the media’s attention to upcoming forums to include an emergency meeting of tourism ministers on May 29th, and another to take place in Washington D.C. in June. We were further informed that the heads of CARICOM would discuss tourism issues during their summit in July.
Sustainable development of the Caribbean region would therefore have to fit the criteria identified by the Brundtland Commission which coined what has become the most often-quoted definition of sustainable development as development that “meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” (Wikipedia.com)
Dr. Carlisle Boyce, a Barbadian and retired executive from 3M who was assigned to Asia in 1998 made a poignant statement when he brought to our attention the fact that Caribbean Diaspora around the world are becoming more rooted in their overseas environment because they are feeling less welcomed in their Caribbean homeland. He further stated that it was surprising to realise that he has two apartments in Asia and none in Barbados. This point was made in his presentation to show the Caribbean how important it was make the Diaspora feel appreciated.
Uniting the Diaspora can catalyse sustainable development in the Caribbean to meet the needs of the present and future generations. We must act now, together, to guarantee the delivery of the required marketing budget to sustain the region!
Based on the above, Positive Tourism News believes that if the Caribbean is to have a ‘BRAIN GAIN’ from our Diaspora, the same red carpet treatment that we extend to travel agents and overseas investors should also be extended to our successful Diaspora brothers and sisters. (Source: Positive Tourism News)
