CTO to celebrate 46th Caribbean
Week of culture, cuisine and rhythm
By Tangerine Clarke
The Caribbean Tourism Organization
(CTO) will celebrate its 46th Caribbean
Week at the Wyndham New Yorker,
from June 1, under the theme: “Year of
Festivals,” and will come alive for a full
week with “Amazing Caribbean Culture,
Cuisine, and Rhythm.”
Sylma Brown, director of the Caribbean
Tourism Organization NY Inc., in
an exclusive interview with Caribbean
Life on April 3, said the exciting series
of events, organized by her office, will
kickoff with a Twenty20 cricket match
between the Caribbean Diaspora and
players from other parts of the world at
the Idlewild Cricket Ground in Queens
on June 1. Entertainment will follow to
share the Caribbean vibe with cricket
lovers.
Caribbean Week, that began many
years before the United States established
Caribbean Heritage Month, to
honor the work of Caribbean nationals
in the diaspora, has evolved over the
years, said Brown.
She said the role of the New York City
office is to create opportunities to give
exposure to CTO’s current 24-member
government, however most of these
countries have representation in the
U.S., but still depend on the body for
needed assistance.
She explained that CTO USA, organize
Caribbean Week, that welcomes ministers,
directors, and tourism industry
representatives who have been coming
to New York, for 45 years to talk about
regional issues, and plan programs with
a view of increasing tourism to the Caribbean.
Noting that CTO is the Caribbean’s
regional tourism development agency,
with an aim of being an organized body
focused on the entire region of the Caribbean
as a single destination entity. The
body extends its arm to help countries,
as in the case of trade fairs that not all
countries attend due to budgetary constraint.
For example, if a particular country
is not represented at a trade fair, “CTO
steps in to help consumers with the necessary
information needed in order for
them to enjoy that vacation for which
they had saved, said Brown, a Dominicaborn
who has managed the office for the
past 10 years.
In other words, the organization provides
specialized support and technical
assistance to member countries in
marketing, human resource development,
research and statistics, information
technology and sustainable tourism
development.
“We make every effort to answer questions
to make consumers understand
the response we give is to share information
about the diversity of the region, so
they are in a better position to visit that
destination they have saved for.”
Addressing Caribbean Week, she
noted that CTO does diversify its events.
The Caribbean Travel and Cultural Fair,
a yearly feature, was replaced with a
cricket match.
The body has also added the Students
Colloquium, a competition to test students’
knowledge on sustainable tourism
issues, and to encourage the best
and the brightest to consider a career
in tourism.
“Tourism is the economic drive in
the Caribbean and we have to make sure
that the best and brightest enters the
industry so it is sustained, and to provide
a good livelihood for citizens of the
Caribbean.”
With the help of consulates and the
Caribbean L 38 ife, April 5–11, 2019 BQ
diaspora, a workshop will be held at the
Caribbean African Institute in Harlem,
where college students will research and
present a practical sustainable tourism
project for the Caribbean.
The objectives are: to enhance inclass
learning by heightening sensitivity
to sustainable indicative in the Caribbean
region, to service as a catalyst
for creativity through competitiveness
and scholastic research, and to provide
a platform for promoting the Caribbean
as the most desirable year-round
warm weather destination, according to
a release.
“This is especially for these students
who will also engage with other students
in the arts, so they can experience
the social and educational aspects of
their visit.”
‘I am proud of this program, because
I am passionate about educating our
youth, and preparing them for a good
career,” said Brown.
‘Our theme is Year of Festivals because
we boast that we have the most festivals
than any part of the world in the islands
collectively, and we will be incorporating
our culture in very thing we do during
Caribbean Week,” lamented Brown.
A Media Marketplace offers member
destinations the opportunity to promote
their latest news and connect
with leading travel writer, according to
a release, while the “Rum and Rhythm
benefit” raises funds for the tourism
education program, all of the proceeds
going towards the scholarship program,
that gives an average of 10 scholarships
and study grants to Caribbean nationals
yearly.
“We are hoping to give 20 scholarships
this year because of a high
demand, which is due to academic excellence
in the Caribbean,” she noted.
“We will continue to deliver students
who are talented, smart, and ready to
take on the world. This will be done
through the scholarship program, to
help develop tourism in the Caribbean.”
Additionally, CTO will host cooking
demonstrations at Bloomingdale, and
William Sonoma. Five top chefs from
the Caribbean will arrive in New York
for this event, and for the first time, will
prepare dinner dedicated to the Caribbean
at the iconic James Baird House.
The Caribbean Tourism Industry
Awards on June 6 recognizes excellence
in the promotion of Caribbean Tourism
and honors individuals across the
industry whose, passionate and dedicated
work have contributed to the development
of tourism business to the region.
To learn more, and purchase tickets
go to https://www.caribbeanweek.com.
CTO Director Sylma Brown. Margot Jordan
Louis E. A. Lewis will be one of the
speakers at the Rum and Rythm
event on Friday, June 7, 2019. CTO
CARIBBEAN TOURISM ON THE MOVE
/www.caribbeanweek.com
/www.caribbeanweek.com