Counterpart International has confirmed Nassau, Bahamas as the venue for the next full-scale Caribbean Media Exchange on Sustainable Tourism (CMEx) event from December 8-12, 2005.The announcement was made by the directors of the international non-profit development organisation in Washington DC. The Bahamas conference follows 10 other regional media exchanges since October 2001 which gathered regional and international media personnel with tourism experts and officials.

In addition to the full-scale media exchanges, Counterpart launched streamlined one-day sessions with its trademarked interactive focus. The day-long CMExPress meetings were held in Antigua and Barbuda and Trinidad and Tobago this year, while full CMEx meetings have been successfully staged in The Bahamas, Barbados, Jamaica (Kingston, Montego Bay and Ocho Rios) and St. Lucia. A special edition was held in the Dominican Republic in August.

“In December, we will look right under our noses for a huge and undervalued market,” says Counterpart President, Lelei LeLaulu.

“Our focus will be on the importance of multi-cultural markets to the Caribbean region. These include the vibrant, millions-strong Caribbean Diaspora in North America and Europe, and the lucrative African-American, Hispanic-American and Asian-American markets. These market segments wield tremendous resources and influence, and we must find ways to tap them while the region competes for a greater share of the world tourism pie.”

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