The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism is backing efforts to increase awareness of sustainable tourism in the Caribbean region by throwing its support behind the next Caribbean Media Exchange on Sustainable Tourism (CMEx) meeting.

Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace, Bahamas’ Director-General of Tourism, announced his government’s sponsorship of the sixth CMEx conference, to be held in St. Lucia, June 24-28, 2004.

“CMEx empowers people about important development issues at a time when too few of our citizens have an appreciation for the value of tourism,” he said, pledging his continued support for a process which integrates Caribbean media officials and communities into the tourism industry. “We are just simply skimming the surface right now in terms of delivering a lot more of the benefits from tourism to so many of our communities,” he commented.

Vanderpool-Wallace, who has been at the forefront of efforts to market the region as a single destination, believes an informed media can help educate our people. “Change is not an event, it’s a process, and with each CMEx conference, the Caribbean is able to produce a more informed and analytical press corps who are, consciously and sub-consciously, shaping thought and effecting change at all levels of society,” he said.

Counterpart International president Lelei LeLaulu thanked the Bahamas government and its visionary director for supporting the conference from its inception. “CMEx is about learned lessons and forging bridges. The Caribbean has a lot more to learn from people like Vincent who is a true partner and who can take credit for the development of this important communications exercise.”
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