Is it possible to build a vibrant tourism industry whileÊconserving the valuable natural resources of a destination?ÊThis is the key question which will spark the 8th edition of the Caribbean Media Exchange on Sustainable Tourism (CMEx)

This will be held in San Juan, Puerto Rico, February 9-13, 2006.
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Counterpart International and its Caribbean affiliate Counterpart Caribbean made the announcement Monday following the successful staging of the interactive media dialogue in Nassau, Bahamas this month.Ê
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Dr. Basil Springer, Chairman of Counterpart Caribbean, said the theme for the meeting will beÊ“Sustainable Development: A Balancing Act” and delegates will examineÊ“how do we motivate our best people to engage in tourism development which creates wealth while revitalising local culture and conserving the fragile environment”.
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“The diligent pursuit of the social partnership model is an optimal strategy towards the objective of sustainable development, and the media should be included in the social partners to act as a catalyst in the achievement of the objective,” said Dr. Springer, who believes the fourth estate is ideally positioned to effectively communicate with the people through strategies of investigative journalism. Ê
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TheÊCMExÊmeeting, known for its intimate, lively interactive formatÊwillÊwhet the appetite of participants planning to attend the Annual Sustainable Tourism Conference,Êmounted by the Caribbean Tourism Organisation and its partners in Puerto RicoÊnext spring.
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A limited amount of fellowships will be offered to Caribbean and international journalists and editors to attend the meeting which will be held at The Normandie Hotel located between the Condado area and Old San Juan.
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To apply, visitÊwww.caribbeanmediaexchange.com/Default.aspx?tabid=107.
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Deadline for entries is Friday, December 23, 2005.
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CMEx San Juan sponsors and supporters include Almond Resorts, American Express, Association of Caribbean Media Workers, Black Entertainment Television (BET Jazz), Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism, Caribbean Broadcasting Union, Caribbean Hotel Association, Caribbean World News Network, Coco Resorts, ENG Caribbean Vision Center, Puerto Rico Tourism Company, Ruder Finn, SpeakEasy M.E.D.I.A., United Nations Development Programme, and “We are the Caribbean Media Services”.
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