By Oswald T. Brown
The newly-elected Allied Board of the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) has underscored its commitment to helping reimagine and rebuild the region’s tourism product, in the wake of the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, Barbados Today reported on Oct. 1.
This follows the CTO Business Meetings held in the Cayman Islands in September when William “Billy” Griffith was re-elected chairman – one of four directors who will serve another two-year term on the five-member Allied Board.
The managing director of WCG Consulting Ltd, Griffith will be joined by Barry Brown of AFAR Media LLC, Seleni Matus of George Washington University and Jacqueline Johnson of Global Bridal Group/MarryCaribbean.com, as those returning.
Founder/president of Hibiscus International Tours, Anne Brobyn is the new face on the Allied Board.
“The Caribbean Tourism Organization is now at an inflection point whilst reimagining and adapting its business model,” Griffith said. “I believe I can also contribute greatly in forging a more cohesive partnership between the private and public sector, raise the profile of the Allied Members and assist significantly in increasing its membership base.”
Brobyn, who brings the experience of being a former employee and marketing representative for the CTO, said the Caribbean’s emergence from the COVID-19 pandemic called for “creative thinking and strategic development.”
Brown, AFAR Media’s executive director for the Caribbean, added: “I believe the diverse expertise and insight of Allied membership is more critical now than ever to help refuel a robust and sustainable rebound of Tourism after the crises of the past few years.”
Matus, a former Belize director of tourism who now serves as executive director of the International Institute of Tourism Studies at George Washington University, said: “I am thrilled to work with affiliates to create a more sustainable tourism industry in the Caribbean by leveraging the strengths of the affiliate network.”
