Kristen Schneider, Kahn Travel Communications
02-12-2004, 05:15 PM
Posted by Kristen Schneider, Kahn Travel Communications on October 17, 2001 at 15:24:57:
CARIBBEAN TOURISM ORGANIZATION NEWS
EXCERPTS FROM PRESS RELEASE TITLED: CARIBBEAN BUDGETS US$18 MILLION EMERGENCY FUNDS FOR JOINT PUBLIC/PRIVATE SECTOR MARKETING EFFORT
BARBADOS (Oct. 17, 2001) - The Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in a recent Emergency Meeting in the Bahamas approved a US$18 million "Joint Public/Private Sector Emergency Tourism Promotion Programme."
CTO Ministers of Tourism and Board of Directors
"The Board decided that one of the most urgent responses of our members now is to try to fill our airplanes and hotel rooms. Almost 46 percent of our tourist arrivals come from the United States and the decline in arrivals has left us in a critical condition. Of course, we appreciate and understand the concerns of travelers at this time and say thank you to all those who have come to the Caribbean and intend to continue with their travel plans. These are extraordinary times and we're going to have to go all out to encourage more people to visit the region", says Secretary General, Jean Holder.
Aviation Group
An Airline Group, including representatives from BWIA West Indian Airways (as Chairman of the CTO Aviation Committee), Air Jamaica, Bahamasair, Caribbean Star and British Airways, also met to review the recommendations of the Meeting of CARICOM Officials relating to aviation matters with a view to adding greater specificity to treat with the problems resulting from the September 11th attacks in the immediate period and the longer term.
In addition to [other] measures, the Aviation Group also made recommendations in respect of longer-term aviation issues including the need for member countries to achieve and maintain a Category 1 status assigned by the United States Federal Aviation Administration with respect to compliance with international aviation safety standards.
Security Issues
The Heads of Government also focused on security matters, in particular, the enhancement of aviation security at airports and on airlines, taking into account the conclusions of the recently held Thirty-third Assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organisation.
The Communiqué issued following the meeting stated that the Heads committed to:
(1) The immediate consideration for adoption and implementation of a range of pertinent international conventions and protocols, by the Legal Affairs Committee of the Community, to address the issue of international terrorism;
(2) Greater coordination and collaboration among regional security services, particularly in intelligence gathering, analysis and sharing, with a focus on crime, illegal drugs and terrorism;
(3) Heightened security at airports and seaports and at borders;
(4) An agreed framework for operational cooperation among the security services, to meet the immediate and long-term responses; and
(5) The implementation of the decision to establish the Task Force on Crime and Security which was established by the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community in Nassau in July 2001, so as to carry out, inter alia, the policy directives emerging from this Special (Emergency) Meeting. The Task Force which will consist of Security and other officials from Member States, will commence its work immediately and will hold its initial meeting in Trinidad and Tobago at the end of October.
The Way Forward
"We are pleased that the meetings last week have resulted in our Caribbean nations taking quick steps to ensure the continued success of tourism, the number one industry in the region," said Jean Holder, secretary general of the Caribbean Tourism Organization.
"We have gathered the will and energies of our 33 member nations to create a series of cooperative marketing and promotional initiatives designed to reinvigorate tourist interest and assure the comfort and security of our visitors. We are working with our private sector partners to create packages that will entice vacationers and reward both our travel agents and tour operators for promoting the Caribbean as the world's leading warm weather vacation destination."
In addition, a new CTO website, www.OneCaribbean.org, is now being used by CTO members as a communications vehicle for information on special offers and other tourism activity in the Caribbean region. This site is linked to all CTO member nations' individual web sites.
CARIBBEAN TOURISM ORGANIZATION NEWS
EXCERPTS FROM PRESS RELEASE TITLED: CARIBBEAN BUDGETS US$18 MILLION EMERGENCY FUNDS FOR JOINT PUBLIC/PRIVATE SECTOR MARKETING EFFORT
BARBADOS (Oct. 17, 2001) - The Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in a recent Emergency Meeting in the Bahamas approved a US$18 million "Joint Public/Private Sector Emergency Tourism Promotion Programme."
CTO Ministers of Tourism and Board of Directors
"The Board decided that one of the most urgent responses of our members now is to try to fill our airplanes and hotel rooms. Almost 46 percent of our tourist arrivals come from the United States and the decline in arrivals has left us in a critical condition. Of course, we appreciate and understand the concerns of travelers at this time and say thank you to all those who have come to the Caribbean and intend to continue with their travel plans. These are extraordinary times and we're going to have to go all out to encourage more people to visit the region", says Secretary General, Jean Holder.
Aviation Group
An Airline Group, including representatives from BWIA West Indian Airways (as Chairman of the CTO Aviation Committee), Air Jamaica, Bahamasair, Caribbean Star and British Airways, also met to review the recommendations of the Meeting of CARICOM Officials relating to aviation matters with a view to adding greater specificity to treat with the problems resulting from the September 11th attacks in the immediate period and the longer term.
In addition to [other] measures, the Aviation Group also made recommendations in respect of longer-term aviation issues including the need for member countries to achieve and maintain a Category 1 status assigned by the United States Federal Aviation Administration with respect to compliance with international aviation safety standards.
Security Issues
The Heads of Government also focused on security matters, in particular, the enhancement of aviation security at airports and on airlines, taking into account the conclusions of the recently held Thirty-third Assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organisation.
The Communiqué issued following the meeting stated that the Heads committed to:
(1) The immediate consideration for adoption and implementation of a range of pertinent international conventions and protocols, by the Legal Affairs Committee of the Community, to address the issue of international terrorism;
(2) Greater coordination and collaboration among regional security services, particularly in intelligence gathering, analysis and sharing, with a focus on crime, illegal drugs and terrorism;
(3) Heightened security at airports and seaports and at borders;
(4) An agreed framework for operational cooperation among the security services, to meet the immediate and long-term responses; and
(5) The implementation of the decision to establish the Task Force on Crime and Security which was established by the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community in Nassau in July 2001, so as to carry out, inter alia, the policy directives emerging from this Special (Emergency) Meeting. The Task Force which will consist of Security and other officials from Member States, will commence its work immediately and will hold its initial meeting in Trinidad and Tobago at the end of October.
The Way Forward
"We are pleased that the meetings last week have resulted in our Caribbean nations taking quick steps to ensure the continued success of tourism, the number one industry in the region," said Jean Holder, secretary general of the Caribbean Tourism Organization.
"We have gathered the will and energies of our 33 member nations to create a series of cooperative marketing and promotional initiatives designed to reinvigorate tourist interest and assure the comfort and security of our visitors. We are working with our private sector partners to create packages that will entice vacationers and reward both our travel agents and tour operators for promoting the Caribbean as the world's leading warm weather vacation destination."
In addition, a new CTO website, www.OneCaribbean.org, is now being used by CTO members as a communications vehicle for information on special offers and other tourism activity in the Caribbean region. This site is linked to all CTO member nations' individual web sites.