Geotourism concept originator Jonathan Tourtellot wants Caribbean to protect its character

The man who originated the concept of geotourism, Jonathan Tourtellot, has said that the Caribbean tourism product will be a lot more competitive if its social fabric, ecology, architecture, cuisine,

The man who originated the concept of geotourism, Jonathan Tourtellot, has said that the Caribbean tourism product will be a lot more competitive if its social fabric, ecology, architecture, cuisine, natural beauty, and its heritage are protected. Geotourism is described as “best practice” tourism that sustains, or even enhances, the geographical character of a place, such as its culture, environment, heritage, and the well-being of its residents.

Mr. Tourtellot said that if tourism is used to support, and not erode, these attributes, the Caribbean will have a competitive advantage.

โ€œIt provides market differentiation,โ€ said Mr. Tourtellot, the director and geotourism editor of National Geographic Traveler, a magazine published by the National Geographic Society (NGS) in the United States.

Mr. Tourtellot, also the director of the NGSโ€™s Centre for Sustainable Destinations, said he was aware of the need to balance economic development with protecting the character of the Caribbean. However, he said it was not impossible to achieve this balance.

โ€œItโ€™s not a zero-sum game. You can do both,โ€ he said, adding that if the Caribbean fails to protect its character, it will lose its pride in the short term and, in the long term, its ability to increase revenue from tourism.

Mr. Tourtellot will be the keynote speaker at the 11th Annual Caribbean Conference on Sustainable Tourism Development, otherwise known as the Sustainable Tourism Conference (STC-11), which will be held in Barbados from May 9-12, 2010.

An exciting program of general discussions, workshops, and study tours is being finalized for the conference themed, “Keeping the Right Balance: Creating Opportunities Through a World Class Sustainable Tourism Product.”

The 11th Annual Caribbean Conference on Sustainable Tourism is being organized by the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) in collaboration with the Barbados Ministry of Tourism. It is part of the information dissemination and regional awareness component of CTOโ€™s Strategy for Sustainable Tourism. It looks at how member states can design and implement sustainable tourism policies and programs, offering a regional forum for information exchange on the successes and pitfalls of national, regional, and international initiatives. For more information on CTOโ€™s travel industry events in 2010, visit www.OneCaribbean.org .

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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