Basseterre, St. Kitts – St. Kitts today announces that prominent Executive Director & CEO of Caribbean Central American Action (C-CAA) Mr. Anton E. Edmunds will be the featured keynote speaker at the island’s 9th Annual Tourism Awards Banquet, to be held at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort on Saturday, October 24, 2009.
Mr. Edmunds’ numerous accomplishments, extensive experience and leadership in the area of Caribbean development make him a natural choice for keynote speaker. Having worked throughout the region for over 18 years, he has led business development and government relations efforts for both the private and public sectors and has directed various successful programs related to energy policy, trade facilitation, maritime security, tourism and more.
“We look forward to welcoming Mr. Edmunds as a keynote speaker at our 9th Annual Tourism Awards Banquet this year,” said Senator Ricky Skerritt, Minister of State in the Ministry of Tourism Sports & Culture. “As we move forward in growing our tourism product, it is only fitting to feature a speaker who shares our government’s firm belief in the importance of fostering cooperation between the public and private sectors.”
Currently, Mr. Edmunds is the Executive Director & CEO of Caribbean Central American Action (C-CAA), an independent corporation that promotes private sector-led economic development in the Caribbean and Central America; Managing Principal of The Edmunds Group International (TEG), a boutique advisory services entity; and a guest lecturer at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) and the Caribbean Association of Industry & Commerce (CAIC).
Before joining CCCA, Mr. Edmunds served as a consultant for business clients with interests in the Caribbean. From 1995-1997, he was a senior manager of business development for St. Lucia based in New York. He also developed and managed global marketing and investment campaigns for regional governments and private sector clients in the Caribbean while at Eastern Caribbean Investment Promotion Services (ECIPS), an OECS business development organization.
The Tourism Awards Banquet is one of the highlights of St. Kitts’ Tourism Month, bringing together industry leaders and professionals to recognize outstanding efforts of various island businesses from both the public and private sectors. It is part of the St. Kitts Tourism Authority’s efforts to elevate service standards in the island’s hospitality industry and encourage the creation of uniquely Kittitian visitor experiences and distinctive service elements that enhance St. Kitts’ competitive position in the regional and global tourism arena.
St. Kitts’ Tourism Month is a series of special events and activities held each October with the purpose of increasing public awareness of the importance of tourism to St. Kitts and the various opportunities it affords individuals. Tourism Month has grown in importance over the years as the island has shifted its focus from sugar production to tourism and other service-oriented business as the main economic driver.
