PARADISE ISLAND, THE BAHAMAS - Hundreds of tourism and travel professionals have gathered at Atlantis, Paradise Island to weigh the future of the Caribbean’s most important industry.

The Caribbean Tourism Organization is examining new strategies to stimulate growth in the region’s critical tourism industry at this year’s State of the Tourism Industry Conference (SOTIC), which carries the theme “Rejuvenate, Recreate, Reconnect - New Directions for Caribbean Tourism. “

The conference is officially scheduled to run Tuesday to Friday of this week but officials from nearly a dozen Caribbean nations today (Monday) are scheduled to update the media on the tourism and travel situation in their country. That includes Jamaica, Barbados and hurricane damaged St. Martin.

Later in the week officials will consider ways to build a tourism industry that’s resilient and able to adapt to changing trends, demands and situations.

“Globally, the tourism industry is constantly evolving,” said Hugh Riley, secretary general and CEO of CTO. “At the Caribbean Tourism Organization, we must be in the forefront of anticipating and managing the changes that affect our region - extreme climate phenomena, political and economic realities at home and abroad, and the rapid rise in technological developments.

“In order to continue to grow our tourism in a way that is sustainable and beneficial to our communities, we must be open to new thinking, which often means breaking out of traditional comfort zones,” he said. “SOTIC 2018 is intended to inspire action to develop innovative concepts, tools and models, and implement strategies that recognise the changing demands of international travellers. Exceeding the expectations of increasingly knowledgeable consumers is a challenge the Caribbean must always be prepared to meet.”

The SOTIC theme ties in CTO’s declaration of 2018 as the “Caribbean Year of Rejuvenation and Wellness”, with multifaceted themes for each of the three conference days:

- Day one is centred on “Recreate” with discussions focused on innovation, business development and building better, not just the physical infrastructure, but an entire immersive experience that is driven by technology.

- The second day will delve into “Rejuvenation,” featuring a blend of creative ideas and cutting edge thinking on what can be done to add vitality, energy and freshness into the Caribbean tourism product. Discussions will also focus on efforts by regional carriers to make travelling through the region less challenging and enhance the visitor experience.

- The emphasis on day three will be on “Reconnecting,” where participants will explore ways to distinguish the Caribbean tourism product by incorporating the region’s unique cultural hybridism and endemic wellness customs into programmes.

Throughout the three-day event, delegates will address visitors’ desire for new experiences, while being conscious of the impact they have on the communities they visit.

Caribbean tourism practitioners, policymakers, travel professionals and strategic partners from the public and private sectors throughout the region and internationally participate each year in SOTIC.

SOTIC is being organised by the CTO in collaboration with the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism.