Tourism Outlook Seminar Begins Tomorrow in Jamaica

Given the challenges facing the global tourist industry, sector leaders will converge tomorrow on Jamaica’s tourist capital of Montego Bay for the second annual Tourism Outlook Seminar at the Ritz Carlton Rose Hall Hotel.

This year’s event builds on the inaugural seminar held in Kingston last year where local and international stakeholders within the industry gathered to discuss issues critical to Jamaica’s development and devise strategies to move the industry forward.

The one-day event, which will involve the participation of several stakeholders from various sections of the local industry, has also attracted a number of international participants.

The issues to be addressed relate to the impact of the economic crisis on the global industry, status of the regional marketing strategy, developments in the cruise industry, challenges facing the accommodation sector, airlift, emerging markets and Jamaica’s vision for the sustainability of the industry.

A distinguished list of speakers has been invited including Director General and CEO of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association Alec Sanguinetti; Executive Director of the Caribbean Council in the U.K. David Jessop; Interim Secretary General of the Caribbean Tourism Organization Hugh Riley; ASTA Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Bill Maloney; Professor of Tourism Management and Director of the China Outbound Tourism Research Institute COTRI Dr. Wolfgang Arlt; Vice President of the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association Adam Cesarano; and Secretary General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization Taleb Rifai.