Washington, DC – Caribbean Central American Action (CCAA) will be welcoming Ministers of Tourism from throughout the Caribbean to Washington, DC, from June 8-10, 2009.
The Delegation, comprising Ministers, tourism association leaders, and private sector stakeholders, will be in the United States to take part in the Annual Caribbean Tourism Summit (ACTS), an event organized by the Caribbean Tourism Development Corporation (CTDC). CCAA will be coordinating much of the group’s agenda before they depart for Caribbean Week in New York.
“The tourism industry is the principal foreign exchange earner for most of the economies of the Caribbean,” says CCAA Executive Director & CEO, Anton Edmunds. “What is rarely recognized is the significant amount of trade that the industry generates between the region and the United States. Much of the money spent by tourists’ return to the U.S. in payment for products and services. The meetings CCAA has organized will contribute to the policy and trade dialogue on this vital industry.”
In the course of the three day visit to Washington, delegates will meet with authorities from the U.S. Congress, the U.S. Administration, and representatives of the multilateral community. Discussions will revolve around a number of topics that present challenges to the Caribbean tourism industry today.
Among other topics, discussions are expected to address: the impact on the recession on this critical industry and the effect on trade flows; the financial services; managing border security; energy security; and the environment.
Tourism Ministers from Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Curacao, Grenada, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and the U.S. Virgin Islands will be amongst those participating in ACTS.
