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What defines Saint Barthélemy’s identity? What are the keys to its success? How can the tourism model be preserved in the years to come? Here are a few examples of the many questions that will be addressed from July 27 to 31 during the Tourism Conference organized by the Saint-Barthélemy Territorial Tourism Committee (CTTSB). After conducting an assessment of tourism in Saint-Barth, the CTTSB proposes drawing inspiration from practices elsewhere. The conference will take the form of roundtable discussions featuring local tourism stakeholders as well as regional and international experts. “These roundtables will allow us to bring in perspectives from outside the island to learn from their experiences,” explains Alexandra Questel, a local elected official and president of the CTTSB. The guest list is long, but notable attendees include Caroline Denat, director of the Megève Tourist Office, Jean-Charles Orsucci, president of the National Association of Coastal Elected Officials (ANEL) and mayor of Bonifacio; Sébastien Camelis, director of Cannes Mandelieu Airport; and Noo Saro-Wiwa, journalist and representative of the CEO of Condé Nast Traveler.
“Addressing these issues publicly”
Each day will be dedicated to a specific theme, such as urban planning, governance, mobility, tourism financing, or even youth. Following these discussions, roundtable participants will be invited to develop recommendations. “The most important part for me is reaching conclusions,” explains Alexandra Questel. “Not just conclusions from the tourism committee, but conclusions developed collaboratively with stakeholders, organizations outside the local government, and the public… ” While the roundtable guests have already been selected, residents are welcome to attend and may ask questions during the Q&A sessions. The roundtable discussions will be streamed on the CTTSB’s Facebook page. “I think it’s very important to address all these topics publicly, so that everyone has the same information about the current state of tourism and the direction we want to take as the tourism committee,” says the elected official. The first roundtable discussion is scheduled for Monday, July 27, in the conference room of the Rosewood Le Guanahani Hotel.
