Business View Caribbean October/November 2018

54 55 ONE SEA, ONE VOICE, ONE CARIBBEAN C reated in 1989, the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) is the region’s in- tergovernmental tourism development agency, with 24 Dutch, English, Span- ish, and French country members and over 250 private sector, allied members. The CTO’s vision is to position the Caribbean as the most desir- able, year- round, warm weather destination. Its purpose and guiding beacon is “Leading Sustainable Tourism–One Sea, One Voice, One Caribbean.” In a recent interview with Business View Caribbean, the CTO Secretary General and CEO, Hugh Riley, shared valuable insights into the operations of the Organization and how tour- ism is evolving and growing as the leading industry in the Caribbean. The following is an edited transcript of that conversation. BVC: How is the CTO funded and what ser- vices do you provide your members? Riley: “Even though the government is the AT A GLANCE CARIBBEAN TOURISM ORGANIZATION WHAT: Caribbean region tourism development agency WHERE: Headquarters in St. Michael, Barbados WEBSITE: www.onecaribbean.org