BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (1 Sept, 2011) –  A number of multiple award winning journalists will be among dozens of leading media who will descend on St. Martin this month for the inaugural State of the Industry conference organized by the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO).

“The Friendly Island” will host about 50 top journalists from some of the best known trade, as well as consumer media in Europe, North America and the Caribbean during the 14-17 September conference, the Caribbean’s leading tourism information and networking event.

These writers and producers from broadcast, print and online media will provide extensive coverage of the event, as well as the destination. Collectively, they reach several million people and can be influential in driving visitors to the Caribbean.

“We’re delighted that the conference is attracting this level of attention from the media. That keeps us on our toes because the journalists won't simply be there to report the news; they'll probe the issues. That stimulates everyone to focus clearly on the challenges and the solutions,” said Hugh Riley, the CTO secretary general.

The State of the Industry Conference – organized in collaboration with the St. Martin Tourist Office – brings together tourism interests from the public and private sectors to tackle a number of critical issues including overcoming the hurdles to intra-regional travel, how to use limited resources to the greatest advantage, how to influence the affluent travellers, and being truly competitive.  One of the sessions, "Communication Means Business" will be pay particular attention to the value of clear, accurate dissemination of information around the world, using a vast array of media channels.  

The inaugural State of the Industry Conference – which has as its theme: How to Win in a Competitive Environment -  is the CTO’s industry convocation of Caribbean tourism practitioners and strategic partners. It builds on the success of the Leadership Strategy Conference held in Barbados last year, and satisfies a need felt among the membership, including travel agent partners, for such a gathering, annually.

The general conference sessions will be preceded by a series of meetings on 14 & 15 September involving ministers, commissioners and directors of tourism, as well as private sector tourism partners. The conference headquarters hotel is Le Domaine on French St. Martin.

St. Martin

The tiny French-Dutch island of Saint-Martin, covering about 88 square kilometers (33.98 square miles) is nestled between the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea. It is the smallest island in the world ever to have been partitioned between two different nations; St. Martin (French) and St. Maarten (Dutch) which have been in a spirit of neighborly cooperation and mutual friendship for almost 350 years. 

Much more than a beach-lovers paradise, the island of Saint Martin is teeming with natural, cultural and human riches. Thanks to its climate and untouched natural heritage, the island offers unparalleled year-round watersports and outdoor activities.
                
The capital of duty-free shopping, St Martin is also renowned for its friendly welcome, culinary delights and lively nightlife. Saint Martin has its own unique identity, making it the perfect sunshine getaway.         Come and discover Saint Martin, “The Friendly Island”.

The Caribbean Tourism Organization

The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), with headquarters in Barbados and marketing operations in New York, London and Toronto, is the Caribbean’s tourism development agency and comprises membership of over 30 member governments and a myriad of private sector entities.

The CTO’s mission is to provide to and through its members, the services and information needed for the development of sustainable tourism for the economic and social benefit of the Caribbean people.  The organization provides specialized support and technical assistance to member countries in the areas of marketing, human resource development, research and statistics, information technology and sustainable tourism development.  The CTO disseminates information on behalf of its member governments to consumers and the travel trade.

The CTO’s New York office is located at 80 Broad St., Suite 3200, New York, NY 10004, USA: Tel: (212) 635-9530; Fax: (212) 635-9511; E-mail: ctoNY@caribtourism.com; CTO’s London office is located at The Quadrant, Richmond, Surrey TW9 1BP, England. Tel: 011 44 208 948 0057; Fax: 011 44 208 948 0067; E-mail: ctolondon@caribtourism.com; CTO Headquarters is located at One Financial Place, Collymore Rock, St, Michael, Barbados; Tel: (246) 427-5242; Fax: (246) 429-3065; E-mail: ctobarbados@caribtourism.com. For more information, please visit www.caribbeantravel.com or www.onecaribbean.org. Get the latest CTO updates on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/ctotourism. Connect with CTO on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/CaribbeanTourismOrganization.