CTO launches high level meeting on Tourism Satellite Accounts

CTO, March 21, 2013 — The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), in cooperation with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), launched a high-level two-day meeting under the theme “Harmonizing Regional Tourism Statistics through Tourism Satellite Accounts (TSAs)”. The TSA is a globally accepted conceptual framework developed by the World Tourism Organization – a United Nations organization – (UNWTO) for measuring the direct contribution of the tourism sector on the economy.

The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the diagnosis and way forward in preparation and maintenance of a well-coordinated system of the TSAs in the Caribbean. The meeting will focus on the preliminary findings of the diagnostic assessment and prescriptive work done by consultant Ms. Maureen Blokland.

At the conclusion of the meeting it is expected that participating countries, supporting agencies and stakeholders would have clarified their role, determined their position, and agreed a united way forward in the development of the TSA system region-wide using the UNWTO recommended framework.

Participants include high-level officials from the offices of Tourism, Statistics and Central Banks of the four participating countries (Bahamas, Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago), as well as high-level personnel from Regional Organizations such as CARICOM Secretariat, the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (EECB), Caribbean Regional Technical Assistance Centre (CARTAC), University of the West Indies (UWI) and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).

The meeting takes place in the conference room of the CTO headquarters, Ground Floor, Baobab Tower, Warrens, St. Michael. The formal opening was addressed by the Parliamentary Secretary in Ministry of Tourism and International Transport in Barbados, Senator Irene Sandiford-Garner and Secretary General/CEO, of the CTO, Mr. Hugh Riley. Ms. Mariko Russell, Team Leader, IDB, presented the project background and goals.