Janet Silvera, Senior Gleaner Writer

ST THOMAS, US Virgin Islands:
As the Caribbean seeks to reposition itself for major change, a new flag bearer has been selected to lead the charge at the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO).

Barbados Minister of Tourism and International Transport, Richard Sealy, is now in the driver's seat.

Sealy was elected by his peers at a meeting of Tourism Ministers and Commissioners at the State of the Industry Conference (SOTIC), now on in St Thomas US Virgin Islands.

Sealy, who will serve for the next two years, succeeds US Virgin Islands Commissioner of Tourism, Beverly Nicholson-Doty.

His tenure comes in the midst of the region's thrust to focus on the importance of diversifying tourism products and services to secure year-round business, while moving to best practices in the sector.

Reacting to the announcement, Sealy stated, “I look forward to putting my very best foot forward and working along with all of the other entities in the region to deal with some of the vexing problems that we have right now with tourism. And of course to continue the good work that has been done by this organisation recently.”

The Barbados minister will shortly name his appointee for the post of Chairman of the CTO Board of Directors, since, according to the CTO Constitution, the Board Chairman and the Chairman of the Council of Ministers and Commissioners of Tourism must come from the same Member Country.

Five vice-chairs were also elected to serve on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors.

They are the USVI representing the US territories; St Eustatius, representing the Dutch Caribbean; Martinique representing the French Caribbean; Guyana and Trinidad & Tobago, representing the Independent CARICOM countries and the Turks and Caicos Islands representing the British Overseas Territories.

Each of these Member Countries will form the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors, which will be completed with representatives from the private sector.

Yesterday's vote was in keeping with the CTO constitution which mandates that elections must be held every two years, said a media release from the organisation.

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