St. Lucia media meeting attracts strong participation; Conference officials forced to close registration
CASTRIES, St. Lucia – Are the US passport restrictions going to hit the region with the force of a major hurricane? This is just one of the hot issues set to boil over at the fifth anniversary of Counterpart International’s Caribbean Media Exchange on Sustainable Tourism (CMEx) from October 12-16, 2006.
The conference, which organizers say has attracted record participation, is the 14th session to be hosted by Counterpart International in association with a number of public and private sector agencies, and will be based on the theme “Chic Communications Concepts” for culinary, cultural, health, sports, and village tourism linkages.
Lelei LeLaulu, president of Counterpart International, the humanitarian and development agency operating in over 60 countries, and producers of CMEx, said the demand from delegates from across the Caribbean, North America and Europe has been so strong, they have had to close registration. The St. Lucia conference has been way over-subscribed, said LeLaulu, as Caribbean media, tourism, business and development community officials sought to make last minute arrangements to join their colleagues for discussions on a number of crucial issues related to tourism development in the region.
“We are full and have been for a while and regrettably there is no way we can pack in any more people,” LeLaulu said.
A number of St. Lucia-based public and private companies are pitching in with support to ensure the success of the conference which will hear presentations from a number of local personalities.
General Manager of the Rodney Bay Marina Cuthbert Didier will speak on the threats to the regional yachting sector, while Rick Wayne, publisher of The Star Newspaper and She Caribbean Magazine is set for a fiery exchange with tourism officials during the opening session next Friday.
Other tourism- and sustainable development-related subjects will be covered by the island’s Tourism Minister Phillip J Pierre; President of the St. Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association Allen Chastanet; General Manager of Sandals Grande St. Lucian Spa and Beach Resort Konrad Wagner; and David Singh of Destiny Group of Companies.
While on the island, the regional and international media will cover a number of projects linking tourism and agriculture, and eco-tourism linkages.
Up front and center at the conference are the little-covered issues so important for the region’s biggest industry – on HIV/AIDS and what’s needed to mitigate the impact of the disease on regional populations.
The fifth anniversary of the exchange, to be held at Coco Resorts in Rodney Bay Village and at a host of other properties on the island, including Almond Resorts, Bay Gardens Resorts and Anse Chastanet Resort will hear from the dynamic Secretary General of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation, Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace and Caribbean Hotel Association top brass Alec Sanguinetti, Berthia Parle and Peter Odle who will undoubtedly address the threat posed by US passport regulations to the region, and what governments and industry are doing about it.
To review the agenda, visit www.caribbeanmediaexchange.com.
