Jamaica shines at CTO State of the Tourism Industry Conference in Turks and Caicos

Jamaica was a prominent participant in the Caribbean Tourism Organization's (CTO) State of the Tourism Industry Conference (SOTIC), held from Wednesday, October 10, through Thursday, October 12, in Turks & Caicos.

The conference marked its return after a five-year hiatus and featured two days of destination briefings for media members and business meetings.

SOTIC is a forum that brings together government and private sector leaders in tourism from CTO member nations to discuss the challenges and opportunities in the regional tourism industry.

In his address, Director of Tourism at the Jamaica Tourist Board, Donovan White stressed the importance of Jamaica's active involvement in the event's comeback year. 

“CTO’s SOTIC is an event that brings together government and private sector tourism leaders from its member nations to examine issues and opportunities facing the industry in the region.

Therefore, it is important that Jamaica was able to have a strong presence and leadership position in the event’s comeback year.

A number of ideas for growth and partnership were identified and it was wonderful to network with so many regional colleagues in person at the same time and place.”

One of the conference's notable sessions focused on "Aviation Competitiveness in the Caribbean."

Director White led a panel discussion featuring experts from the Caribbean and Americas region, including Peter Cerda, Regional Vice President of the Americas at the International Air Transport Association (IATA); Dr. Rafael Echevarne, Director General of the Airports Council International, Latin America & the Caribbean (ACILAC); and the Hon. Charles 'Max' Fernandez, Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation, Transportation, and Investment from Antigua & Barbuda.

The session addressed issues related to intra-regional air travel, including 7th freedom rights and the Multilateral Air Services Agreement.

The panel also discussed factors affecting the competitiveness of air services development in the Caribbean, the potential for multi-tiering, technology's role in enhancing the travel experience, and the need for public-private collaboration.