The Caribbean Regional Sustainable Tourism Development Programme funded under the 8th European Development Fund (EDF) was approved by the EDF Committee in November 2002, and the Financing Agreement, in the amount of €8 million, was signed between the Caribbean Forum of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (CARIFORUM) and the European Commission in March 2003.

The beneficiaries of the programme are the fifteen (15) CARIFORUM member states: Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St.Kitts/Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad & Tobago.

The actual programme start-up took place in May 2003 with the signing of a Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) between CARIFORUM and the implementing agencies (Caribbean Hotel Association, Caribbean Tourism Organization and Pontificia Universidad Catolica Madre y Maestra) and endorsed by the European Commission on May 16, 2003, which governs the implementation of the programme. Annexed to this MOU is a MOU between the Caribbean Tourism Organization and the Caribbean Hotel Association expressing the commitment between these two organizations to strengthen their cooperation through this 8th EDF Caribbean Regional Sustainable Tourism Development Programme.

The Caribbean Regional Sustainable Tourism Development Programme funded by the European Commission under the 8th European Development Fund and through the Caribbean Forum of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (CARIFORUM) is currently under implementation and ends officially in June 2008.

Estimated at Euro 8 million, this programme is designed to be implemented over a five year period. The Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA), the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) and the Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre Y Maestra (PUCMM) in the Dominican Republic are the implementing agencies of this programme.

A tourism unit, the CARIFORUM Tourism Programme Unit, charged with the management of the programme has been established by CARICOM/CARIFORUM in Barbados and staffed with a project director, administrative assistant and accountant.

The overall objective of the Programme is to contribute to economic growth and poverty alleviation of CARIFORUM countries through increased competitiveness and sustainability of the Caribbean tourism sector. While an improved competitiveness is required, essentially based on the quality of the product offered (in terms of standards offered and in terms of its intrinsic, unique characteristics), sustainability represents the main concern of the programme.

In this respect, the essential aim is to build up a real tourism economy based on high value added, niche oriented products rather than depending on an increased number of tourist arrivals.

The main programme beneficiaries should be local players, such as small-medium sized hotels and tourism operators, as well as the local population.

The activities targeted at achieving the results of this programme include the drafting of a regional policy framework for sustainable tourism development; development and enforcement of regional environmental, health and safety standards in conformity with international practices; training provided to hotel managers and staff in the region on sustainable management and operations practices; strengthening of regional and national public and private sector tourism institutions; enhancement of research capability; improvement of information technology capability.

More information is available at the website: Caribtdp.org