New LIAT CEO to Address Regional Transportation Issues at CTO State of the Industry Conference in St. Kitts

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (1st October 2012) – The burning and vexing issue of affordable and reliable intra-regional travel will be the focus of attention when the new LIAT CEO, Capt. Ian Brunton, makes his maiden appearance at the region’s premier tourism gathering.

Capt. Brunton, who took over at the helm of the regional carrier at the beginning of August, will join a panel of creative thinkers and doers seeking to identify solutions to a problem which has plagued Caribbean travellers for a number of years.

The session, “The Challenge of Regional Transportation – Where is the Solution?” is one of several explosive and provocation plenaries organized by the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) as part of the State of the Industry Conference carded for 10-12 October in St. Kitts.

Intra-regional travel has been beset by high fares and inadequate access, among other challenges, which tourism officials contend hinder development of the important regional tourism sector.

“Regional travel is a focal point of concern for our member-countries,” said Hugh Riley, the CTO’s secretary general, “Caribbean people are longing for a service that is convenient, reliable and affordable.”

The secretary general added that there is a perception that it is often cheaper to travel from the Caribbean to the United States than from one Caribbean country to another.

“There’s something wrong with that. For this and other reasons the topic is of critical importance,” he explained.

Meanwhile, delegates attending the State of the Industry Conference are being given the opportunity to make early bookings at discounted rates offered by LIAT. The airline has entered into a partnership with the CTO offering delegates and participants an opportunity to pay less for their journey to St. Kitts for the conference.

For more information on how to take advantage of the special fares, as well as how to register for the State of the Industry Conference, log on to www.onecaribbean.org.