Barbados elected chair of the Caribbean Tourism Organization

Barbados has taken over chairmanship of the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO).

Barbados was elected chair yesterday at the CTO’s Ministerial Council meeting held in the Cayman Islands during the organization’s annual State of the Tourism Industry Conference (SOTIC).

Minister of Tourism and International Transport for Barbados, Ian Gooding-Edghill, will chair the Council of Ministers and Commissioners of Tourism, while Andrea Franklin, CEO of Barbados Tourism Marketing, will serve as chairman of the Board of Directors.

Barbados is succeeding outgoing chair Cayman Islands, which was led by Minister of Tourism and Ports, Kenneth Bryan, and Director of Tourism, Rosa Harris.

The CTO highlighted that under Cayman leadership, several successes were achieved, including the re-engagement of members and the return of the US Virgin Islands and Bermuda.

- Advertisement -

In a comment, the outgoing chairman said: “I hope that I’m leaving this organization in a stronger position and well placed to meet the opportunities and the challenges ahead.”

Gooding-Edghill expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to lead the CTO.

“We are all in this together. We have a lot of work to do,” he stated. “I also want to take this opportunity to thank my colleague, Minister Bryan…for all that you’ve contributed over the last two years. Under my leadership, with the help of all of my colleagues, we will certainly continue to advance the cause of the Caribbean Tourism Organization.”

Barbados will lead the CTO for a two year term.

The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), is the region’s tourism development agency, with 25 Dutch, English and French country members and a myriad of private sector allied members. The CTO’s vision is to position the Caribbean as the most desirable, year-round, warm weather destination. Its purpose is Leading Sustainable Tourism – One Sea, One Voice, One Caribbean. The primary objective of the CTO is to provide to and through its members the services and information necessary for the development of sustainable tourism for the economic and social benefit of the Caribbean people