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TOURS TO EXOTIC AND HISTORIC SITES IN TRINIDAD & TOBAGO AWAIT DELEGATES TO CTO SUSTAINABLE TOURISM CONFERENCE

-- A full day of Study Tours on Wednesday 17 April has been planned for the conference which runs from 15-18 April at the Hyatt Regency in Port of Spain --

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (1 March, 2013) – Delegates attending the 14th Annual Caribbean Tourism Organization Sustainable Tourism Conference (STC-14), will get to explore some of Trinidad and Tobago’s most exotic and historic sites as part of the conference experience.

A full day of exhilarating study tours has been planned to reveal the diversity of the host country and the various sustainability models being employed there. The Study Tours are among the most sought after aspects of the STC programme with delegates consistently rating them as the most rewarding sessions. Approximately 95 per cent of delegates who attended STC-13 in Guyana last year rated the Study Tours as excellent or good, with 78 per cent saying they were excellent.

“These Study Tours provide an opportunity for delegates to experience firsthand some of the very issues that we discuss during the plenary sessions and workshops, and are a powerful learning tool,” said Gail Henry, CTO’s sustainable tourism product specialist. “In addition, they take delegates away from the confines of the walls of the conference site to see community tourism from a very practical perspective.”

A number of options are available to delegates attending STC-14. These include the Grande Riviere - one of the villages that make up the Turtle Village Trust (TVT) which comprises communities that have come together to conserve turtles; Salybia Beach where delegates can hike to the Matura Waterfall and plunge into a pool of pristine mountain water, take the Red Howler Monkey Tour in an ancient Mora-filled forest or go kayaking on the Salybia River; and the Tobago Heritage Park for a lesson in the history of cocoa in Tobago and rum and chocolate tasting sessions. A full list of the Study Tours is available at www.caribbeanstc.com

STC-14 will be held at the Hyatt Regency in Port of Spain from 15 to 18 April 2013. The theme, Keeping the Right Balance: Enhancing Destination Sustainability through Products, Partnerships, Profitability.
As a third-time STC host, Trinidad and Tobago is again eager to showcase its many wonders. The government has identified tourism as one of the key pillars to lead the diversification effort in its energy fuelled economy. The growth of the tourism sector there is being guided by the principles of sustainable tourism where there is a balance between the use of environmental resources and the cultural and socio-economic benefits derived by host communities.

For more information on STC-14, including how to register, visit www.caribbeanstc.com.