Claudia Gardner, Gleaner Writer

MANNING

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad:

Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Patrick Manning, has called on Caribbean countries to foster greater collaboration in promoting the region's history, culture and natural environment, in order to strengthen its appeal as a tourist destination.

"We must therefore infuse our tourism industry with as much as possible of the full authentic Caribbean experience. We therefore need to bring the Caribbean history and culture as well as more of our natural environment to the fore in our tourism development plans," Manning said.

"Our historical sites, landmark buildings, museums, forests, rivers and natural wonders and cultural arts must be made prominent and prepared for the fullest possible deployment in the development of the unique product."

Opening ceremony

Manning made his comments on Tuesday evening during his keynote address at the opening ceremony of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Investment Conference (CHTIC), currently under way in Port-of-Spain.

He added that the region must be mindful that new destinations - some of which offer the tropical experience and have the advantage of being closer to our major markets - have entered the market during the final quarter of the last century.

"Our industry has been traditionally based on our favourable climate, hospitable people, outstanding scenic beauty, proximity to major travel markets and political and social stability," Manning said. "Global travellers continue to be interested in the region as a destination of choice. But we must strengthen the regional brand. This is the way forward."

Improvement possible

He said if regional cooperation were intensified, service levels, quality, standards marketing and sustainable development efforts could be improved. The head of government said, as a consequence, CARICOM member states have set aside an entire day at the upcoming Heads of Government Conference in July, to focus on a comprehensive examination of the tourism industry and to consider the possibility of creating a sustainable economic commission on tourism.

"We must put our heads together in the public and private sectors to deal with the various issues, including air travel, intra-regional tourism, multi-destination marketing, the linkages of tourism to the local and regional economies, the benefits and impact of cruise tourism on the industry as a whole, safety and security, cultural issues and environmental matters, including the impact of global warming on the island developing nations of the world," he said.

"I am of the view that there is already an awareness of what needs to be done. Caribbean collaboration will intensify the resolve."

Close to 500 delegates have been registered for the 12th staging of the CHTIC, the highest in its history. The event, which is held annually, is being staged for the first time in the twin-island republic, and is aimed at improving tourism investment in the Caribbean and stimulating a continuous flow of equity and loan capital into the region.