Black Meetings and Tourism

SUMMIT OF THE AMERICAS HELD AT HYATT REGENCY TRINIDAD 34 Leaders From The Western Hemisphere Convene at Hotel The historic Fifth Summit of the Americas with western hemisphere's lead- ers took place April 17-20 at the Hyatt Regency Trinidad in Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago's capital city. The stellar group assembled to discuss the theme of "Securing our citizens' future by promoting Human Prosperity, Energy Security and Environmental Sustainability." U.S President Obama, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton were among representative from 34 mem- ber states of the Organization of American States to attend. Pictured here are Organization of American States repre- sentatives assembled for the Summit. CARIBBEAN WEEK IN NEW YORK HOSTS FIRST EVER MEETING & INCENTIVE TRAVEL SHOWCASE, JUNE 12, 2009 The Caribbean Tourism Development Company (www.caribbeantravel.com) has developed a brand new program for this year's highly anticipated Caribbean Week in New York (www.onecaribbean.org), June 8-12, 2009. The event, entitled the Caribbean Meeting and Incentive Travel Showcase, will be hosted in association with Black Meetings and Tourism magazine to target the meeting, incentive, conference and exposition markets by sharing the unique experiences available for these specialized groups within the Region. The showcase will take place on Friday, June 12 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the New Yorker Hotel. "The Caribbean Meeting and Incentive Travel Showcase is an important new addition to the Caribbean Week program as this particular niche continues to travel for their meetings despite the economy," said Hugh Riley, interim secretary general of the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) and co-chief executive officer for the Caribbean Tourism Development Company (CTDC). "Their travel decisions are made based on the opportunity to experience an extraordinarily special and memorable trip that also offers value. The Caribbean is well poised to serve this market because of its proximity, the quality and diversity of prod- uct and its affordability." Showcase participants will have the opportunity to personally interact with pre-qualified association planners to gather feed- back in terms of their interests and even receive RFPs. The session is expected to attract planners from associations such as Meeting Planners International, Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International, Society of Incentive Travel Executives, National Coalition of Black Meeting Planners, Governments, hoteliers, convention centers and more. For more information on Caribbean Week in New York 2009, to register for all events and to purchase tickets, (212) 635-9530 to speak to a representative from the Caribbean Tourism Development Company. OH CANADA! MAPLE LEAF MARKET BRINGS BIG BUSINESS TO ST. LUCIA Coco Palm's Feolla Chastanet Says Future Prospects For Canada Look Bright St. Lucia and the rest of the Caribbean ought to take advantage of the strong Canadian travel market, asserts local hotelier Feolla Chastanet of Rodney Bay's Coco Palm. The managing director of the popular boutique property said while the United States has been the obvious choice, its northern neighbors cannot be overlooked. Fresh from co-hosting a group of leading Canadian writers and reporters on a press visit to St. Lucia (in partnership with WestJet Vacations), Chastanet said Canadians have a deep appreciation for the Caribbean's soft adventure experiences and in particular the French Creole cultural offerings of the island. "We have been completely surprised by the number of Canadians who visited Coco Palm and Rodney Bay this past winter," said Chastanet whose hotel registered a 1,000 percent increase in arrivals over last year. Highlighting WestJet's and Air Canada's respective seasonal and year-round services as contributing factors, Chastanet said that while Canada is not traditionally a summer market, preparations should begin in earnest to welcome more Canadians in the fall caribbean Black Meetings & Tourism June/July 2009: www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 22

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