The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) is pleased with the results of a recent survey which revealed that nearly 20 percent of Americans would prefer to travel to the Caribbean over anywhere else in the world.

Harris Interactive conducted a telephone poll of 1,010 Americans over the age of 18 to find out what countries they would travel to if cost were not an issue. Two CTO member countries- Barbados and Jamaica- tied for ninth place among the top 15 favourite countries to visit.

It was Barbados’ first listing among the elite group since Harris began conducting the poll in 1997.

The survey revealed a swing towards English-speaking countries, which Harris attributed to concerns linked to the events of Sept. 11, 2001.

“We at CTO are very pleased with the results of the Harris poll. At a time when the public is concerned about safety, we are not at all surprised that Caribbean countries are listed among the destinations Americans find comfortable to visit,” said Hugh Riley, CTO’s Director of Marketing for the Americas.

Mr. Riley said that the CTO continued to encourage visitors to come and explore the many wonders that its 32 member countries have to offer, including their history, sun-splashed beaches, first-rate shopping and endless picturesque scenery.
 

The Harris Poll was conducted between July 18 and 22, 2002 among a wide cross section of American adults.  Figures for age, sex, race, education, number of adults and number of voice/telephone lines in the household were weighted where necessary to align them with their actual proportions in the population.

The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), with headquarters in Barbados and marketing operations in New York, London and Toronto, is the Caribbean`s tourism development agency and comprises membership of 32 governments and a myriad of private sector companies.

The CTO`s mission is to provide to and through its members, the services and information needed for the development of sustainable tourism for the economic and social benefit of the Caribbean people. The organization provides specialized support and technical assistance to member countries in the areas of marketing, human resource development, research and statistics and sustainable development.

The CTO disseminates information on behalf of its member governments to consumers and the travel trade.

For more information, please contact CTO Headquarters at One Financial Place, Collymore Rock, St. Michael, Barbados; tel: (246) 427-5242; fax: (246) 429-3065; E-mail: [email protected]. CTO`s New York office is located at 80 Broad Street, 32nd Floor, New York, NY 10004, USA; tel: (212) 635-9530; fax: (212) 635-9511; E-mail: [email protected]. CTO`s London office is located at 42 Westminster Palace Gardens, Artillery Row, London SW1P 1RR; tel: 171-222-4335; fax 171-222-4325; E-mail: [email protected]. CTO Canada can be reached at Taurus House, 512 Duplex Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4R 2E3; tel: (416) 485-8724; fax: (416) 485-8256; E-mail [email protected]. Visit CTO on the web at www.doitcaribbean.com and www.onecaribbean.org.
——-