NEW JERSEY – Resilience to the double threats of global recession and climate change will be addressed by movers and shakers drawn from the Caribbean and international media, tourism, financial, community and government communities.
The island of St. Lucia was today selected by the organizers to host the 18th edition of the Caribbean Media Exchange on Sustainable Tourism (CMEx), December 3 to 7, 2009.
Reporters, editors, youth representatives and development specialists will interact over four days with leaders of the hospitality sector, civil society and government to explore tourism resilience as well as “Multicultural Marketing: A Climate for Change.”
Underlying the provocative presentations and lively discussion is looking at how tourism can improve the health, wealth, education, environment and culture of destinations in a “climate-friendly fashion”, as delegates examine how to “climate proof” Caribbean tourism as well as build resilience into today’s recessionary environment.
Senator Allen Chastanet
With the stroke or two of their pens, reporters, editors and young people could secure fellowships to attend one of the most sought-after media gatherings in the Caribbean to be held at Coco Palm’s Conference Centre in Rodney Bay Village.
“We are delighted the CMEx organization has chosen to return to the island of St. Lucia,” said Senator Allen Chastanet, St. Lucia’s Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation, who said the theme was appropriate given his destination’s marketing drive into Diaspora communities overseas.
“The media exchange comes when the twin terrors of global recession and climate change are threatening the very fibre of the Caribbean region’s biggest economic driver – tourism,” said Lelei LeLaulu, a CMEx director and president of the Sensible Development Corporation.
“We need regional leadership in these critical areas right now as others try to impose their own solutions to our detriment,” he added, pointing to the UK’s Airline Passenger Departure tax which he said would “hamstring Caribbean tourism while doing nothing for the climate.”
CMEx is an interactive networking forum that allows journalists and young leaders from the Caribbean, North America and Europe to interact with development specialists and representatives of the hospitality, civil society and government sectors.
Journalists and editors – and youth (aged 15 to 21) – can apply for a limited number of fellowships which cover airfare, accommodation and registration. Partial fellowships covering accommodation and registration also will be awarded.
Application and General Registration Forms are available from the following links:
Media Fellowship Form: http://docs.google.com/View?id=dgsbbfz_1143fq9dhghf
Youth Fellowship Form: http://docs.google.com/View?id=dgsbbfz_1145hhxp2bgm
General Delegate Form: http://docs.google.com/View?id=dgsbbfz_1146htt4tjdd
The deadline for all fellowship applications is Thursday, September 10, 2009.
Delegates who submitted applications in August and September last year need not re-apply, but should contact CMEx to confirm their interest in participating this December.
The upcoming CMEx meeting is supported by the Association of Caribbean Media Workers, the Barbara Pyle Foundation, Bay Gardens Resorts, Caribbean Business Enterprise Trust, CaribWorldNews, Coco Palm, Community Benefit Development, Counterpart International, Caribbean Broadcasting Union, Marketplace Excellence, Ruder Finn, Sensible Development Corporation, and the SpeakEasy M.E.D.I.A. Foundation.
