CTO to host conference on intra-regional travel

BRIDGETOWN (CMC):

Some of the most creative minds in Caribbean and international tourism will come together to seek a solution to the challenges facing intra-regional transportation.

With intra-regional travel beset by high fares and inadequate access, the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) has planned a special session at the upcoming State of the Industry Conference in St Kitts to examine the issue and

come up with possible answers.

"Regional travel is a focal point of concern for our member-countries. The volume of intra-regional visitors generated among our members annually is close to 1.5 million. But that number is decreasing and it a major concern to us," said Hugh Riley, CTO's secretary general.

"Caribbean people are longing for a service that is convenient, reliable and affordable. There is a perception that it is often cheaper to travel from the Caribbean to the United States than from one Caribbean country to another. There's something wrong with that ... ."

The latest figures compiled by the CTO research division show that in 2011, nearly 1.5 million Caribbean nationals visited neighbouring regional destinations, a 3.2 per cent rise over 2010 when intra-regional travel resulted in just under 1.4 million arrivals.