The Regional Conference "Enhancing Tourist Destinations: Policies and Strategies for Visitor Protection" was held on September 22-23, 2003. This Conference was organised by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago in conjunction with the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) and the Caribbean Regional Human Resources Development Programme for Economic Competitiveness (CEPEC).
The importance of the Meeting is unquestionable, not only because Tourism is one of the major economic activities of the Greater Caribbean Region today, given that it generates foreign exchange revenue and creates employment in the export sector, etc., but also since the theme of the Conference: "Tourist Safety" is intimately associated with Sustainable Tourism development.
This reality formed an integral part of the topics addressed during the Conference.
Tourism and Sustainable Tourism cannot be developed in an environment that is hostile toward or unsafe for the tourist.
The Conference provided a great opportunity for essential problems to be presented and analysed. In addition, it confirmed the need for the crucial problems affecting the region in this area to be identified, and also for those responsible for executing Programmes and Plans of Action in the Tourist Industry to thoroughly address said problems, so as to reduce risks and enable governments, the private sector, the civil society, etc, to join efforts, thus contributing to increased competitiveness in this activity.
Following the events of September 11, 2001, the Association of Caribbean States adopted as one of its most important mandates of the 3rd Summit of Heads of State and Government held on December 11-12 in Margarita Island, Venezuela, the development of a Conference to support the analysis of the principal problems affecting Tourist Safety.
This Conference is a response to such objectives and its results have therefore been considered highly valuable as it allows Regional and Functional Co-operation to be strengthened among ACS Member Countries and Associate Members.
Each of the sessions held during the Conference explored and received specific recommendations regarding the progress achieved, and the actions to be undertaken toward implementing a policy in the Greater Caribbean that would allow the establishment of Local as well as Regional Tourist Safety Networks. (Zoila González Maicas)