The Cayman Islands to host Caribbean Tourism Organization conference

The Cayman Islands will host the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) conference from September 12 to 15, 2022 — the first major in-person event programme for the CTO.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) will also host Caribbean Aviation Day on September 14 during the CTO event.

Ministers of CTO member countries, Directors of Tourism, senior executives, media, and regional students who participate in the Caribbean Youth Congress, as well as international aviation experts, are expected to attend the business meetings.

Kenneth Bryan, Minister for Tourism and Transport of the Cayman Islands said it is a privilege for them to host the event.

“It is a great honor to be the host country for this significant conference and we look forward to welcoming CTO and the delegations from the member countries to the Cayman Islands. The CTO does vital work for the region, and this is an opportunity for regional Ministers and industry leaders to meet face-to-face to have key discussions as the region continues to recover from the pandemic and plan for the future.”

The organization’s annual conference, hosted in a member destination, brings together CTO members to discuss and plan key items. The conference has been on hold for the past two years due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and consequently, the 2022 CTO Business Meeting hosted in the Cayman Islands will be the first in-person occurrence since the start of the pandemic.

The conference includes the following meetings and events:

• CTO Board of Directors Meeting – Attended by the Directors of Tourism and the private sector members of the board, this is where the work plan, budget, and other proposals for special consideration are discussed and approved.
• CTO Council of Ministers Meeting – Attended by the Ministers of the CTO member countries, this is where the approved work plan, budget, and other special proposals are discussed and ratified.
• The Election of the Chairman of the Council of Ministers – This event occurs every two years and is where the financial members of the Council of Ministers vote to elect the new Chairman of the Council of Ministers.
• Caribbean Youth Congress – The Youth Congress is a developmental competition involving students aged 14 to 17 from CTO member countries who debate on regional tourism matters. Its main aim is to stimulate greater awareness and excitement about tourism among young people in our Caribbean communities

“The tourism sector and the Caribbean as a whole have faced severe challenges over the two years of the COVID-19 pandemic but have confronted these with a tenacity which has further demonstrated the resilience of the sector,” said Acting CTO Secretary-General, Neil Walters.

The IATA-hosted Caribbean Aviation Day will bring together the top management of the airline and tourism industry in the region, as well as government ministers, aeronautical authorities, the diplomatic corps, and the media, among others. The objective is to discuss the challenges and opportunities of this sector and the recovery of the region, as well as the roadmap to enhance the benefits of aviation in the Caribbean.

Mr. Peter Cerda, IATA’s Regional Vice President for the Americas states: “The current spirit of cooperation with governments in the region will enable aviation along with the entire tourism and travel value chain to play a key role in the region’s post-pandemic economic and social recovery.”