Sustainable Tourism Pioneer Jake Kheel To Keynote Caribbean Coastal Tourism Innovators Symposium
NEW YORK – Jake Kheel, Environmental Director for Puntacana Resort & Club, one of the most successful development companies in the Dominican Republic, will be a keynote speaker at the third annual Symposium for Innovators in Coastal Tourism, to be held at St. George’s University in Grenada, 9-11 July, 2014.
The Symposium, which is a collaborative effort between the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) and the Center for Responsible Travel (CREST), is expected to draw some 150 participants from the Caribbean and elsewhere in the Americas.
“For the past 15 years, the Grupo PUNTACANA has developed experimental projects that serve as living, breathing examples of solutions to some of the tourism industry’s greatest social and environmental challenges,” says Kheel, who is also Executive Director of the not-for-profit Puntacana Ecological Foundation.
He added, “The Foundation has worked to offer a vision for development in the Caribbean that balances economic growth, environmental protection, community inclusion, and a celebration of local culture. We are pleased to participate in the CTO/ CREST Symposium both to share our experience in sustainable tourism, as well as learn from other thought leaders in this field.”
“In keeping with our purpose to lead sustainable tourism in the Caribbean, the CTO is pleased join CREST and Grenada’s Ministry of Tourism in this unique and important sustainable tourism symposium. Coastal and marine tourism are vital to our economies and tourism product and it is critical that our industry personnel are kept current on the trends and best-practices in sustainable tourism management,” says Gail Henry, CTO’s Sustainable Tourism Product Specialist.
The three-day event will feature a rich mix of some 40 experts in various aspects of sustainable coastal and marine tourism. Among the confirmed speakers are: Ewald Biemans, owner of the eco-award winning Bucuti & Tara Beach Resorts in Aruba; Salli Felton, Chief Executive of The Travel Foundation; Mark Spalding, CEO of The Ocean Foundation; Jonathan Tourtellot, Geotourism Editor for National Geographic Traveler; Dr. Murray Simpson, Executive Officer of CARIBSAVE; Natasha Ward, an environmental specialist with the InterAmerican Development Bank; and Russ Fielden, owner of True Blue Bay Resort, a leading eco-certified hotel in Grenada.
The Symposium’s 16 workshops and five plenary sessions will cover a range of topics, including climate change mitigation and adaption for coastal tourism; financing sustainable tourism; innovations in large and small coastal resort and vacation home design and operations; ‘greening’ marinas, spas, and golf courses; impacts of cruise tourism; travelers’ philanthropy; sustainable travel trends; and building symbiotic relationships between coastal tourism and marine protected areas. The event will also feature several documentary films on coastal tourism, field trips to leading tourism attractions in Grenada, and an Eco-Expo.
In keeping with the sustainable tourism theme, delegates will stay at four of the island’s eco-friendly boutique resorts. Host country, Grenada, will also use the occasion to showcase the island’s wealth of cultural and natural attractions under its new tourism marketing brand, “Pure Grenada.
Details and updates about the Symposium, including the program, speakers, registration, field trips, and sponsorship are available at: www.ctocrestsymposium.com
