Guyana will host the 13th annual Caribbean conference on sustainable tourism development next year.

Bermuda’s director of tourism William Griffith passed the symbolic sustainable tourism scroll to the deputy director of the Guyana Tourism Authority, Tameca Sukhdeo-Singh, at the closing of STC-12 in Bermuda on April 6th.

“It is with great pleasure that I accept the distinguished honour of hosting STC 13 in Georgetown, Guyana, next year.

“With this scroll comes great responsibilities and Guyana is eager take the mantle and continue hosting a successful and memorable STC 13.

“Bermuda has done a wonderful job in hosting a productive and successful STC 12, so we have to rise to the challenge and continue the standards set by them,” Ms Sukhdeo-Singh said.

William Griffith passes the sustainable tourism scroll to the deputy director of the Guyana Tourism Authority, Tameca Sukhdeo-Singh

The CTO believes that STC-13 will underscore the diversity of the Caribbean’s tourism product and highlight the attributes of a destination with vast natural resources and large-scale eco-systems.

“Guyana’s tourism product has its genesis in sustainable tourism development. From the inception, the government realised that we needed to place our focus on developing a tourism product that protected our environment. Hence, we followed in the footsteps of sustainable tourism,” added Ms Sukhdeo-Singh.

“This placed us in an advantageous position because we offer a multifaceted product to our tourists, both international and domestic.”

The Caribbean Tourism Organisation and Guyana will, within the next few weeks, determine a date for STC-13.

“Guyana’s emergence as an attractive tourism destination is a tribute to the quality of their natural assets, and their commitment to sustainability.

“On behalf of CTO, I am pleased to accept Guyana’s offer to host the 2012 conference,” CTO chairman Richard Skerritt said ahead of the announcement.

For more information head over to the CTO website.