Caribbean News

UN SG is Special Guest at Opening Ceremony for CARICOM Heads Meeting Wednesday

Published

5 years ago

July 3, 2019

From CARICOM

#St.Lucia, July 3, 2019 — CARICOM Heads of Government begin their 40th Regular Meeting in Saint Lucia on Wednesday with the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as Special Guest Speaker at the Opening Ceremony.

The Ceremony, expected to set the tone for two packed days of discussions on pressing economic development and international relations matters, will also be addressed by the incoming CARICOM Chairman, Prime Minister Allen Chastanet of Saint Lucia, outgoing Chairman, Prime Minister Dr Timothy Harris of St. Kitts and Nevis and CARICOM Secretary-General Ambassador Irwin LaRocque.

The UN Secretary-General has been paying close attention to challenges in the Caribbean Community. In 2017, following the devastation by Category Five Hurricanes Irma and Maria in several Caribbean Community Member States, he visited for a first hand view and to meet affected residents. Later, he collaborated with his CARICOM counterpart Ambassador Irwin LaRocque to host the CARICOM-UN High Level Pledging Conference at UN Headquarters in November that year to support the rebuilding process and the effort to make the Caribbean Community the world’s first climate resilient region.

The Prime Minister of Norway Ms Erna Solberg, who is also a Special Guest of the Meeting, and will attend Wednesday’s Opening Ceremony following which she will join the Heads of Government and the UN Secretary-General for a working dinner. The Prime Minister will have an engagement with the Heads of Government during Thursday’s Plenary session.

The Opening Ceremony will be held at the Royalton St. Lucia Resort, from 4:30 p.m.

You can follow the Livestream on – https://www.facebook.com/caricom.org

Related Topics:#AntonioGuterres #magneticmedianews CARICOM UN

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U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS SHINES AS A PREMIER DESTINATION AT THE 2024 SEATRADE CRUISE GLOBAL CONFERENCE

Published

1 day ago

April 22, 2024

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St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) –April 11, 2024—The U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism, led by Commissioner Joseph Boschulte, Assistant Commissioner Alani Henneman, and Deputy Commissioner RoseAnne Farrington, traveled to Miami, Florida, to support Governor Albert Bryan Jr. and other local partners agencies for the 2024 Seatrade Cruise Global Conference.

To kick off the week-long event, the Department of Tourism sponsored the highly anticipated Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) barbecue, which was hosted by Governor Bryan.

Revered as a steady leader in the Caribbean tourism industry, the USVI delegation, which also included the Legislature of the Virgin Islands, the Virgin Islands Port Authority, West Indian Company Limited, Magens Bay Authority, and the U.S. Virgin Islands Government Employee Retirement System, showcased the territory and its growing accessibility around the cruise industry to key operators and businesses.

“Cruise has been and continues to be a leading entryway for visitors into the territory, and Seatrade allows representatives from the USVI to interface with and share pertinent updates needed to continue fostering positive relationships throughout the industry,” explains Commissioner Boschulte.

Commissioner Boschulte was featured on the Caribbean Spotlight panel moderated by renowned industry leader and FCCA CEO Michelle Paige, who referenced the Commissioner being named the 2023 Caribbean Tourism Executive of the Year by Caribbean Journal and shared how exceptional the publication’s acknowledgment of his accolades are. Paige referenced Caribbean Journal’s spotlight paragraph reading, “No Caribbean destination has seen more growth in the last three years than the U.S. Virgin Islands, which kicked off a full-fledged tourism renaissance just after the onset of the pandemic and hasn’t looked back. And so much of that growth can be directly tied to the expert stewardship of Boschulte, who helped craft an innovative, flexible response to the challenges of the pandemic and has continued to drive the USVI’s performance with a data-driven, creative approach to modern tourism.”

Commissioner Boschulte and Deputy Commissioner Farrington joined Governor Bryan for meetings with leading cruise lines, including Disney Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Carnival Corporation & plc, amongst others, to discuss continued partnerships, expansion opportunities, and industry updates.

As the global cruise industry continues to restabilize following challenges incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, St. Thomas and St. Croix experienced a 13% growth in 2023 over 2019, with West Indian Company Dock, Crown Bay Dock, and E. Abramson Marine Facility welcoming more than 1,600,000 passengers from 495 total calls for the year. With a 58% year-over-year passenger increase from 2022 to 2023, the USVI continues to grow and is projected to experience another 5% increase in cruise passenger arrivals in 2024.

Commissioner Boschulte also highlighted the remarkable success of the USVI and Caribbean region, stating, “I am proud to see the Caribbean’s appeal continue to captivate travelers. Our collaborative efforts with partners like FCCA and the Caribbean Tourism Organization underscore the unity of our region, ensuring unforgettable experiences for visitors while highlighting the unique strengths of the U.S. Virgin Islands. With a safe, welcoming destination and a shared commitment to tourism, we embrace our role as an integral part of the Caribbean community.”

For more information about the U.S. Virgin Islands, please visit https://www.visitusvi.com/.