Dominica was well represented at the recent Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) Business Meetings and International Air Transport Association (IATA) conference held under the theme “Recover, Reconnect, Revive” in the Cayman Islands. Honorable Denise Charles, Minister for Tourism, International Transport and Maritime Initiatives; Colin Piper, Director of Tourism; and Samuel Johnson, CEO of International Airport Development Company, attended the conference from September 12 – 16, 2022.
Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the CTO Business Meetings had not been held face-to-face for the past two years. This year’s activities brought together government ministers, tourism officials, industry experts and senior aviation executives to discuss key challenges and opportunities impacting air travel in the region with the aim of identifying how to jointly rebuild a more competitive air transport sector.
It was important that Dominica attended this event on aviation matters where meetings were held at the OECS Ministers of Tourism level and at the CTO Board of Directors and Council of Ministers level. This offered the opportunity to network among colleagues to discuss potential partnerships.
Colin Piper, Director of Tourism
Additionally, Minister Charles was able to provide perspective as a panelist on intra-regional travel in Dominica and the OECS, as well as the importance of travel to small island states. The Dominican delegation held multiple one-on-one formal and informal meetings to discuss Dominica’s air access position and possible route development. It was an opportunity to hear from the network, industry leaders and decision makers in aviation – a critical component of the tourism industry.
