Ins & Outs of SVG 2020

Gone are the days when there was a collective groan on hearing about having to attend yet another meeting. In today’s world, the Meetings Industry is a multimillion dollar business which many tourism destinations are aggressively developing and marketing. What has been responsible for this major change? Taleb Rifai, Secretary General of the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) was quoted in the publication, Global Report on the Meetings Industry , as saying, “The Meetings Industry has come of age, and it has firmly placed itself at the centre of tourism as one of the key drivers of the sector’s development and an important generator of income, employment and investment.” In that same report, several ‘positive points’ in the Meetings Industry were highlighted: • Meetings are big business in their own right and play an important role in supporting other businesses. • Meetings promote investment, trade, communications, and technology. • Meetings bring education and professional development to the local community, creating jobs and retaining work forces. • It isa“clean” industryandpromotesenvironmental quality. • Meetings represent the “high end” of visitor spending. When SVG is the reward Meetings, Incentives, Conferences &Events By Vera Ann Brereton Palm Island Photo: Courtesy kitesurfgrenadines.com Mandarin Oriental Canouan Courtesy Mandarin Oriental Canouan 44 MEETINGS, INCENTIVES, CONFERENCES &EVENTS INS& UTS