Business View Caribbean October/November 2018

60 61 CARIBBEAN TOURISMASSOCIATION continue to develop an agenda which encourag- es and assists member states’ efforts to create digitally-enhanced tourism services via entre- preneurship and innovation. “It is our firm belief that more efficient resource management will empower our local communi- ties and help build a truly inclusive tourism sector. Tourismmust bring benefits to all members of our society. Emerging digital technologies provide a range of new tools that can tackle challenges faced throughout our member states, increase profitability, and bring about positive change for stakeholders that will improve the quality of life for all Caribbean people. “The CTO has a tremendous amount of direct contact with the people of the Caribbean.Overseas, our contact tends to be at the level of the trade in- dustry–airlines, tour operators, travel agents–but the consumers don’t really know about us. How- ever, here in the Caribbean, we spend a huge amount of time, energy, and resources making sure the region is the best we can be in terms of human resources. “We need to attract the best and the brightest to the industry that’s driving our economies.The CTO has awarded over $1 million in University scholarships for tourism studies. But,we also make sure it is taught from the primary school level up in many of our countries, so that stu- dents who don’t have the opportunity to go to a tertiary level institution, at least have an understanding of what the industry is about from the ground up, as well as how to get into it and how to perfect it. “We all have to understand how to be good hosts because that’s the business we’re in.My point is that even though the CTO is seen else- where as a trade organization, at home in the Caribbean,we have a great amount of close con- tact with the people here – and we love that!”