[dropcap]P[/dropcap]rime Minister Honourable Allen M. Chastanet will participate in a special Heads of State Forum on Wednesday, November 7th 2018 at the 25th Annual Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) Conference and Trade Show currently being held in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Along with Heads of State, the forum will include FCCA Member Line presidents and CEOs for both a networking reception and a meeting on ways to work together on destination and region specific topics, including year-round traffic, employment opportunities, purchasing/sourcing and developing strategic partnerships.
Prime Minister Chastanet also delivered an address at the FCCA Conference & Trade Show Opening Ceremony on Tuesday, November 6th, where he implored executives to leap collaboratively and commended cruise lines for continued confidence in the Caribbean.
“There is power in being able to come together, in us having this opportunity to identify the issues through amiable discussion and to strive to find real solutions to those problems,” PM Chastanet said, adding that “The future of the cruise industry is equally dependant on the strength of every island.”
The Prime Minister is joined at the conference by representatives of the Saint Lucia Air and Sea Ports Authority (SLASPA), the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority (SLTA) and officials from the Citizenship by Investment Unit (CIU). Also part of the Saint Lucia contingent are representatives from the local Cruise-Tour Operators and Destination Management Companies.
The ?FCCA ?Conference, chaired by Michelle Paige, Chairperson of FCCA, ?is ?a four-day ?event ?designed ?to ?foster ?a ?better ?understanding ?of ?the ?inner ?workings ?of ?the ?cruise ?industry and help attendees improve their cruise tourism business. The conference presents opportunities to develop relationships with, promote products to, and learn from the executives from FCCA’s 18 Member Lines who decide where ships call, what is sold and used onboard, and how to invest in destinations and infrastructure.
