‘Caribbean Week’ NYC confab eyes region’s aviation industry

The return of National Caribbean American Heritage Month in June also marks the return of “Caribbean Week in New York,” the annual international event of tourism-related activities coming to Manhattan’s InterContinental Times Square from June 16 through 21, presented by the Barbados-based Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO).

Beginning with a Sunday morning service on June 16 at Brooklyn’s Lenox Road Baptist Church, the week continues with government and travel industry officials attending a business and tourism marketing symposium focusing on AI technologies and marketing issues, plus other activities.

Under this year’s special theme, “Connecting the Globe, Celebrating Diversity,” the future of Caribbean aviation will be highlighted, “emphasizing innovation and connectivity.” The “Caribbean Airlift Forum” — addressing “route development, aviation competitiveness, partnerships, infrastructure investment, regulatory frameworks, and market demand strategies” — is one of the events exploring the role and evolving potential of aviation and its vital airline connections to the region.

From Puerto Rico’s bustling Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport servicing more than 4 million flights a year, to the recent renovation of St. Maarten’s Princess Juliana International Airport after 2017’s Hurricane Irma, aviation provides a vital lifeline for the tourist-reliant economies of the Caribbean.

New York area-centered events at the conference include the “Gateway Connections: Exploring Caribbean-New York City Tourism Dynamics” session delving into New York’s important role in Caribbean tourism, and the “Building Bridges: Caribbean and African American Marketing” luncheon” focusing on Black American travelers visiting the region.

“There’s always business in the New York tristate area, and we have a burgeoning diaspora that we must connect with,” said Caribbean Week spokesperson Rosa Harris, who is also chairman of the CTO board of directors and the director of tourism for the Cayman Islands. For information, visit onecaribbean.org, or email [email protected].

Source: https://www.msn.com