Barbados Tourism Minister Ian Gooding-Edghill appointed as new Chairman of CTO

The Minister of Tourism and International Transport for Barbados, Ian Gooding-Edghill, has been appointed as the new Chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) at its Annual General Meeting in the Cayman Islands on 3rd September 2024.

The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) is the tourism development agency whose main motive is to position the Caribbean as the leading tourism destination for all the travellers. Its main purpose is to lead sustainable tourism under the tagline “One Sea, One Voice and One Caribbean.”

And the election of Minister Gooding Edghill as a Chairman is a testament to his unwavering commitment and dedication towards elevating the tourism sector of Caribbean to greater heights. As Chairman, Minister Edghill will lead the CTO’s Council of Ministers and Commissioners of Tourism for the next two years.

He will also play a huge role in guiding the strategic measures to enhance and promote the tourism sector across the region.

Following his appointment as the Chairman of CTO, Minister Ian Gooding-Edghill stated that it is truly a great honour for Barbados to be chosen to represent the region at such prestigious level. He stated that he is committed to working with his colleagues across the Caribbean in order to strengthen the tourism department, drive sustainable growth, address the challenges and seek opportunities that lie ahead.

He added that the entire Caribbean region will work together to make the Caribbean the leading tourist destination worldwide.

Under the leadership of Minister Gooding-Edghill, the CTO is aiming to focus on essential aspects with a vision to cater to the needs and demands of its member countries and its visitors.

Moreover, the CEO of Barbados Tourism Marketing, Andrea Franklin, has also been appointed as the Chair of the Board of Directors of the CTO. Focussing on her duties and responsibilities, she noted that she is looking forward to working with her fellow directors across the region with a vision to enhance strategies for marketing and addressing the challenges that the Caribbean faces as it relates to climate resilience, improved airlift capacity, and overall product development.

SOTIC 2024

Also, several Caribbean Tourism leaders are currently attending the State of the Tourism Industry Conference in Grand Cayman which commenced on 2^nd September 2024 with business meetings. This conference is being conducted under the theme “Caribbean Tourism: Fueling our Lifeblood.”

During the conference, several leaders are gathering together in order to exchange their significant dialogues on addressing the critical issues that the tourism sector of the Caribbean region is facing as well as to explore innovative strategies in order to lead the area towards sustainable growth.

State of the Tourism Industry Conference is a huge platform for the tourism stakeholders to come together and held discussions for the resilient and prosperous future of the Caribbean region. The leaders will also recognize the significance of preparedness in the face of disruptions and will emphasise the practices and methods that can be used in order to ensure the resilience of tourism businesses.