Secretary-general of OAS to address MoBay tourism conference
LUIS ALMAGRO, secretarygeneral of the Organisation of American States (OAS) will address the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), Government of Jamaica, World Bank Group and Inter-American Development Bank Global Conference on Jobs and Inclusive Growth: Partnerships for Sustainable Tourism, at the Montego Bay Convention Centre, from November 27 to 29.
“The OAS has long recognised, with grave concern, that the Latin American and Caribbean region represents one of the most vulnerable regions in the world due to the adverse impact of climate change,” Almagro said in September in a message after Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria affected the Caribbean earlier this year.
“We also recognise that within this region, many developing small island and low-lying coastal states face grave threats to their survival and viability from climate change and the rise of the sea level.”
Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett, who was recently appointed coordinator of the UNWTO’s newly formed Disaster Recovery Working Group for the Affected States in the Caribbean, said, “The conference will provide the opportunity for tourism interests to outline a plan of action, based on input from the Caribbean Tourism Organisation, the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association, and the UNWTO.”
TECHNICAL VISITS
The OAS secretary general joins a growing list of distinguished presenters at the Montego Bay conference including Danilo Medina, president of the Dominican Republic; Dr Taleb Rifai, UNWTO secretary general; Alexandre Rosa, vice-president for Countries, Inter-American Development Bank; James Scriven, chief executive officer of the Inter-American Investment Corporation; Gloria Guevara Manzo, president of the World Travel and Tourism Council; Eduardo Fayos Sola, expert on the future of tourism; and Xu Jing, regional director for Asia and the Pacific for the UNWTO.
Bartlett pointed out that the conference was being organised within the context of the United Nations International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development. The conference aims to influence and support changes in policies, business practices, consumer behaviour towards a more sustainable tourism sector, and contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals.
In addition, one of the high points of the conference will be to facilitate technical visits to local community tourism enterprises, including the Rasta Indigenous Village, Cockpit Country Adventure Tours, and the Bunkers Hill Cultural Xperience & River Tour. These attractions were selected to showcase the biological diversity of the natural environment and the rich history and culture of Jamaica.