Editorial

Estimados Amigos del Caribe,

El pasado fue un mes muy activo, lo cual unido al rediseño de nuestra pagina Web www.solocaribe.com y a la apertura de nuestra oficina en Carolina del Norte, nos hace ahora presentarles un boletín por los dos meses, junio y julio.

Todavía son el sabor de lo vivido en la Sustainable Tourism Conference de la OTC, en el Westin Casuarina Beach Resort en Gran Caimán, subimos a Carolina para luego salir corriendo al Caribbean Tourism and Hotel Conference en Miami ¡Pero como valio la pena tanta corredera!

Los “trinis” nuevamente se hicieron con el oro en la competencia gastronómica Taste of The Caribbean en la CHTC, y aún relamiendome escribí el trabajo que leen en este boletín digital.

Lo único permanente es la impermanencia, y se dice que todo tiempo pasado fue mejor. Sin embargo, para el Caribe soplan vientos de optimismo, a pesar de que las cifras globales de turistas hayan bajado. No hay duda de que estamos profesionalizándonos, diferenciándonos sutil y acertadamente, explotando cada vez más nuestros atractivos y virtudes.

Con una OTC trabajando mano a mano con la CHA por el devenir de la edición numero treinta de su conferencia madre, la CTC, ya a nadie le queda duda de que es el turismo sostenible y la Responsabilidad Social Corporativa donde hay que apuntar. Y sin dejar fuera al turismo de salud.

Nosotros concordamos plenamente con el carismático secretario general de la OTC, Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace, en que los “decision makers” deben participar activamente en las sesiones, talleres y charlas relativas a estos importantes tópicos. Pero por otra parte, no quisiéramos que el esfuerzo de tantos años de STC se viera minimizado, y nos quedemos sin esa conferencia tan importante para aprender de nosotros mismos y de los demás.

Es por ello que hemos hecho un trabajo, un homenaje a la STC. Su pasado, su presente, ¿y su futuro?. Pues somos todos nosotros, la gente del Caribe.

Por un Caribe unido en su diversidad, trabaja SoloCaribe desde el Caribe, y ahora, para estar más cerca de aquel Caribe de más arriba, SoloCaribe Inc, desde North Carolina.

Afectuosamente,

Lolybel Negrín Pantoja
Editora Asociada para el Mundo
Hispanoparlante y Brasil
solocaribe@gmail.com

Carolina Martínez Galindo
Editora Asociada para Venezuela, Colombia y las Islas ABC
(Aruba, Bonaire y Curacao)
carolamg29@hotmail.com

Indiana Montezúñiga-Monteverde
Editora /Directora de SoloCaribe Inc
indianamontezuniga@hotmail.com
indianamonteverde3000@cantv.net

Fotógrafía y video: Melchor Monteverde, Raul  Francisco Sojo Montes y Cristóbal Montero

Dear Caribbean Friends,

Still remembering all the good things we have experienced at the Sustainable Tourism Conference held in the Westin Casuarina Beach Resort in Grand Cayman, sponsored by the Caribbean Tourism Organization, we are editorializing in English for the first time in this June 2007 edition of SoloCaribe newsletter, as per the many requests we are getting from our English speaking contacts. This is a newsletter dedicated to the Central and South American media, operators, travel agents, tourism related entities and VIP’s, but as we are putting more and more Caribbean people In our so far 35.000 contacts of our data base, we are trying our best for enhancing the English part of it.

The only permanent thing is the impermanency, and in this changing world we better keep this thought in our minds. Specially in the tourism sector we need to be ready for a plan B, C, or even D, depending of what is happening not only in the world economy and the climate change, but also in the different segments and niche markets that our Caribbean destinations can take and advantage of. That is why we are making this effort: We really think that Central and South America is a region where The Caribbean can get much more in many positive ways.

Going back to the STC, We have heard many times speeches about the importance of sustainable tourism. For us, sustainability is mainly that the communities can really get a benefit from the tourism revenue, strengthen their capabilities for the good development of the important role they play in the tourism industry. For this, they need the commitment of all the key players; and specially the understanding of that the Social Corporate Responsibility have many intangible gaining (as well as the Sustainable Tourism Conference); as where there is harmony, good quality of life and peace, the tourist feel the difference.

We agree completely with Mr. Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace, the Secretary General of CTO that is very important that the decision makers of our Caribbean Islands and Countries take an active part of the sessions, brainstorming and discussions that take place in this annual Sustainable Tourism Conference. This is without a doubt one of the richest events, in terms of nurturing our minds and knowledge, of the whole planet.

At STC we interact and analyze facts and issues in such a relaxing form that is not possible to get in any other conference as per the frame that it was designed from the beginning. Conferences and workshops in the morning, study tours in the afternoons, have been the key of its success.

But…! Most of the Ministers of Tourism, Directors of Tourism, Marketing Managers of the Tourism Boards; as well of the General Managements of Caribbean Hotels and Resorts have not consider all these years to participate in the STC. Maybe the fact that STC is scheduled a couple of weeks after Caribbean Week in New York, and then followed by CHA’s CHIC (now called CHTC) in Miami, does not allow these high level officers to be in a five days conference, which is not driven by multimillionaire negotiations, nor trying to make massive sales, and where the most important thing is to talk about the achievements, challenges and dreams of the PEOPLE as they relate to the development of tourism in their own backyards.

Because is the people, the people of The Caribbean, are the center force of STC!

The end of our journey of one month ( Cayman Island – North Carolina – Miami), took place in the Hyatt Regency in down town Miami at the CHTC of CHA. We can say that we have achieved a lot of the general sessions, and the topics where superb, but it was the Taste of The Caribbean Competition that took most of our attention and enjoyment, so we have written a full article on that.

All the best,

Lolybel Negrín Pantoja
solocaribe@gmail.com

Carolina Martínez Galindo
carolamg29@hotmail.com

Indiana Montezúñiga-Monteverde
indianamontezuniga@hotmail.com
indianamonteverde3000@cantv.net

Photography & video: Melchor Monteverde, Raul  Francisco Sojo Montes & Cristóbal Montero

Pescadores artesanales afanados en la Playa Morrocoy, Venezuela. Foto: Raúl Francisco Sojo Montes elsojon@gmail.com

Haga clic para ver el detalle de las siguientes notas:
Click on the titles to see details of the following articles:

1. GENERALES DE TURISMO / TOURISM IN GENERAL

¡Se acerca la CTC-30!

Los "trinis" arrasaron nuevamente en la competencia " Taste of The Caribbean"

English: Monagas State in Venezuela is waiting on you!

Half Moon será líder en el mercado de reuniones y viajes de incentivos gracias a su nuevo Spa (Spanish  - English)

Half Moon lanza su nuevo Chat en Vivo (Spanish - English)

La conferencia CHTC profesionalizo aún más al sector turismo del Caribe y sus aliados

2. TURISMO SOSTENIBLE / SUSTAINABLE TOURISM

La STC de la OTC en las Islas Caimán, única e inolvidable

Trayectoria de la Conferencia para el Desarrollo del Turismo Sostenible de la OTC

3. TEMAS HOLISTICOS / HOLISTIC AND WELNESS TOURISM

Baño Desintoxicante Iónico

Conozca de cerca al C.H.A.E

4. ENTREVISTAS / INTERVIEWS

Entrevista a Miriam Dabian, de la Oficina de Turismo de Aruba (Spanish & English)

Entrevista Enrique Marchena por Claudia Mateo

Entrevista A Eleanor Wilson (Spanish - English)

5. NOTIEXPRESS

Notiexpress (Spanish - English)