On behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), I congratulate the Caribbean Tourism Organisation on the successful execution of the activities of Caribbean Tourism Month 2016.  The theme for this year’s celebration:  One Sea, One Voice, One Caribbean, serves to emphasize the many attributes and deep connection that we share as a region.  I fully endorse and support the overarching objectives of raising awareness of the importance and profile of Caribbean tourism, both regionally and internationally.

The Caribbean is reportedly the most tourism-dependent region in the world and tourism remains the mainstay for many of the Region’s economies.  I am fully cognizant of the fact that the only way that this vital regional product can survive is through the practice of sustainable tourism, which seeks to strike a healthy balance between the environment, economic and socio- cultural aspects of tourism.  To this end, the CARICOM Secretariat will continue to provide support to initiatives by stakeholders that promote and enhance sustainable tourism.

The industry has the potential to contribute to sustainable and inclusive development.  If this potential is to be realized, it is essential to seek further investment, enhance competitiveness and increase the marketing of our product.

One of the Community’s priorities for this sector in 2017 will be to advocate for closer collaboration and linkages between the region’s tourism and agriculture sectors.  In that regard, the farm-to-table initiative is one that is fully supported.

I look forward to working closely with the Caribbean Tourism Organisation, as by so doing, together, we can harness the immense potential of tourism to drive economic growth.

It is my hope that this Caribbean Tourism Month has served to encourage more visitors to our shores as well as to stimulate intra-Caribbean tourism.