CASTRIES, St. Lucia – World Tourism Day this year celebrated the role of women and next month’s Caribbean Media Exchange on Sustainable Tourism (CMEx) in St. Lucia features some of the Hemisphere’s top female tourism and communications experts, say the organizers.
Produced by Counterpart International in partnership with the St. Lucia Tourist Board from December 6 to 10 in St. Lucia, the 11th full edition of CMEx will feature New York-based public relations media specialists Laura Davidson of LDPR and Ruder Finn’s Gail Moaney; communications consultant Deborah Patton; Jamaica-based Trinidadian PR professional Marcia Erskine; former CNN news anchor and author Andria Hall; and editors Gay Myers of Travel Weekly; Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon of Caribbean Travel & Life magazine; and Sonia Alleyne of Black Enterprise magazine.
Laura Davidson
“Women have shaped and developed some of the most innovative communications campaigns and guided new thinking on responsible tourism development in the Caribbean so it is no surprise to welcome so many fine executives for our St. Lucia meeting,” said Counterpart president Lelei LeLaulu.
The conference has also attracted several youth and media delegates representing both genders and the four official languages of the Caribbean – English, Spanish, French and Dutch.
Lauding the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) for saluting women during last September’s World Tourism Day, LeLaulu said CMEx also expected to hear from industry leaders such as Michele Paige, president of the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association, Puerto Rican meteorologist Susan Soltero, and Haitian-American Caroline Racine, Director of Caribbean Franchise Development for Choice Hotels.
“We also will be exposed to the creative cultural talent of Guyanese Canadian recording artiste RHEA who along with St. Lucian tourism thinkers Maria Fowell, Berthia Parle, Lorine St. Jules and Callista St. Juste is assured to inspire conference attendees,” he said.
Rhea
Reporters, editors, young people and development specialists will interact over four days with representatives of the hospitality sector, civil society and government to explore the theme “Caribbean Tourism: Another Level of Innovation.” Key is examining how tourism policies can be aimed at improving the lives of Caribbean people.
The environment, Caribbean marketing, public relations, tourism linkages, economic development, and the concerns of the Caribbean’s youth will be highlighted during the conference which includes a practical look at what Destination St. Lucia is doing to foster sustainable tourism development.
A Registration Form to participate in the conference can be found here: www.mediaexchange.info/portals/2/delegate.doc.
