CTO launches two upcoming events in Toronto

Two upcoming Caribbean Tourism Organization events were put in the spotlight at a media event in Toronto this week.

The CTO held its 2-in-1 Media Launch at The Real Jerk restaurant, announcing its first annual Caribbean Investment Forum on Oct. 29 and the Rum and Rhythm Benefit on Oct. 30. The launch was complete with tastings of many of the region’s rums, from well-known international brands to more obscure products not often seen outside of their countries of origin.

According to Sylma Brown Bramble, the CTO’s Director of the Americas, the investment forum will focus on forging relationships between the Caribbean and Canadian investors looking to pour money into the region, from travel and tourism to small businesses and fisheries.

“Many Caribbean government organizations have offered to meet with Canadian investors,” Brown Bramble said, adding that with tourism “the most important industry” for many Caribbean nations, there are many opportunities for investors within the industry. “We want to focus on sustainable investments – whatever investors are interested, we want to hear from them.”

Brown Bramble said the Rum and Rhythm fundraiser, being held at Toronto’s Ripley’s Aquarium, will help the CTO raise funds for scholarships in tourism education as well as benefit the Sick Kids-Caribbean initiative (supported by the Sandals Foundation), a program that provides the expertise of doctors from the renowned Toronto children’s hospital in several Caribbean countries (so far including Jamaica, Barbados, St. Lucia, St Vincent/Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago), to assist Caribbean doctors with the detection of cancer and blood disorders such as sickle-cell anemia (tickets for the event are on sale now on Eventbrite by searching ‘Rum and Rhythm Toronto.’).

Dr. Victor Blanchette, the program’s director and a native of Barbados, told guests that the project was initiated after gaps in the healthcare system became apparent and “we went to the doctors to see if they would work with us.”

More information is available at www.onecaribbean.org.

PHOTO: Sylma Brown Bramble, CTO’s Director of the Americas