Tourism conference scheduled for July

Under the impetus of its president Alexandra Questel, the Comité du tourisme is preparing its annual meeting, scheduled to take place between July 6 and 10. The aim is to bring together all the players in the sector, elected representatives, the island's economic bodies (CESCE and Cem) and the general public. The aim is to redefine a tourism policy in line with Saint-Barthélemy's updated context.
Whether in terms of development or resilience, the island has already "proven its worth", assures Alexandra Questel, who cites the subprime crisis of 2008-2009, the passage of Hurricane Irma in 2017 and the health crisis of 2020-2021. The fact that Saint-Barthélemy was able to quickly overcome these crises helped to reinforce its success and increase the influx of visitors and investors," stresses the CTTSB president. Today, we need to give a new direction so that people who live on the island, but also new arrivals, can find their way around. "To achieve this, Alexandra Questel is convinced that it is essential to include "everyone" in the discussions that will take place at the July conference.

Eight major themes
Elected representatives, tourism professionals and local residents," explains the local councillor. We need everyone to feel involved, and we need to give a voice to local residents. "The conference will take the form of two daily round tables, which will be filmed and broadcast live online. Each round table will begin with a 45-minute presentation of the theme by a specialist. A mediator will then ensure the smooth running of the debates.
Eight major themes will be addressed: responsible tourism, marketing promotion, infrastructure and facilities, culture and heritage, innovation and new technologies, training and employment, crisis management and resilience, and exceptional tourism. We need to think about how to raise tourist awareness of eco-responsible behavior, particularly in terms of energy consumption," insists the CTTSB president. But also on how to better manage waste and the cleanliness of the territory, or how to ensure that the target clientele is the right one in order to avoid over-visiting. "One thing is certain: there will be no shortage of cross-cutting topics. Tourism is at the heart of the island's economy.