The Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) has announced the appointment of a new secretary general. He is Barbadian Hugh Riley who has been the organisation’s interim secretary general for the past several months.

In making the announcement the CTO’s Chairman, Hon. John Maginley, who is Minister of Tourism for Antigua and Barbuda, described Riley as an experienced Caribbean tourism professional with a clear vision of how to move the tourism sector forward.

 

“I am pleased to announce that after an extensive search and a thorough selection process, the CTO Council of Ministers has offered Riley the position of secretary general and he has accepted,” Minister Maginley said.

 

“Riley has an intimate knowledge of the tourism industry and a sound strategic vision for what the region’s tourism sector needs in order to remain competitive and to thrive, particularly in these trying times. We are confident that he is up to the challenge,” Chairman Maginley added.

 

Riley’s appointment takes effect from 17 August. As the organisation’s chief executive officer he will oversee the CTO’s offices in Barbados, North America, the UK and Europe, succeeding the late Arley Sobers and the Hon. Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace. He will also lead the organisation’s initiatives to strengthen relations with our strategic partners, including the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) and the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA).

 

CTO, as the region’s tourism development agency, provides research, human resources, marketing, communications and technology services internationally to its public and private sector members. CTO has been in the forefront of recent efforts to interface with the governments of the UK and US on a range of issues affecting Caribbean tourism.