Carried out his studies in Argentina and graduated as Sworn Translator for English at Universidad Del Salvador in Buenos Aires and Master’s degree in Regional Economic Integration in MERCOSUR at Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Argentina.

Held a position at the National Tourism Administration in Argentina in charge of International Relations and International Cooperation for fifteen years, having also the position of National Tourism Coordinator for MERCOSUR for ten years.

Since June 2009 he is part ofUNWTO Secretariat, as Deputy Regional Director for the Americas.

Mr. Lloyd C. Day is a United States citizen and assumed his position as Deputy Director General of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) on July 1, 2012.

Started career with the Governor of California eventually becoming the Deputy Secretary of International Trade and Investment for California. Moved to Washington, D.C. to serve as Administrator of USDA ́s Agricultural Marketing Service, Head of Federal Government Affairs at Syngenta, and now Deputy Director General of IICA.

Since June 2009 he is part ofUNWTO Secretariat, as Deputy Regional Director for the Americas.

Sandra Carvão is Chief of Tourism Market Intelligence and Competitiveness at the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) since June 2018. Before that, she was Chief of Communications and Publications for 8 years until May 2018 where she was responsible for UNWTO’s strategic positioning.

Prior to this post, Sandra was Deputy Chief at UNWTO’s Market Trends, Competitiveness and Trade in Tourism Services Department between 2007 and 2010. During this period, Sandra coordinated the Tourism Resilience Committee created by UNWTO to address the impacts of the global economic crisis 2008-2009 on tourism. Prior to joining UNWTO in 2003, Sandra held a position as market manager in the Portuguese National Tourist Office in Lisbon. Sandra has a degree in International Relations, Economics Branch, by the Instituto de Ciências Sociais e Políticas/Universidade Técnica de Lisboa and a postgraduade degree in Marketing by the Universidad Complutense de Madrid.

Neil Walters is the Acting Secretary General of the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO). While acting as the organization’s chief executive officer, Mr. Walters oversees the CTO’s operations and leads the organization’s initiatives to strengthen tourism’s role as a major contributor to the economic development of the Caribbean.

His responsibilities include delivering the CTO’s mission as the Caribbean’s tourism development agency; fostering relations with the tourism industry’s key stakeholders; and providing specialized services and technical support to member governments and a variety of private sector members in the areas of advocacy and representation, marketing, human resource development, communication, research and statistics, information technology and sustainable tourism development.

Mr. Walters joined the CTO in 2000 as Accountant in the Finance & Resource Management Department, after working in different areas of public accounting and finance in Barbados. In 2009, he was appointed Director of Finance & Resource Management of the CTO, responsible for the financial management of the organization, and providing counsel on the efficient utilization of the organization’s funds.

Frank has 40 years of experience in economic development, organization management, government affairs, project management, workforce development, research, and in providing business and investor support in The Bahamas, the United States, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Caribbean.

For five years he has held the position of CEO and Director General for the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA). With CHTA he has led the private sector’s regional efforts on marketing, advocacy, tourism development, crisis readiness and response.

Previously, Frank served as Executive Vice President for the Bahamas Hotel and Tourism Association, a position he held for more than 10 years. He has held executive positions with the Nassau Tourism & Development Board, the National Alliance of Business in Washington DC. and earlier with the St. Croix and St. Thomas-St. John Chambers of Commerce.

Regionally, he was President of the Caribbean Society of Hotel Association Executives a long-serving member of the Board of Directors for CHTA.

Frank was Deputy Chairman of the Nassau Airport Development Company where he helped to guide a $410 million investment in upgrading the airport. He served on the Board for the International Downtown Association and is a Lifetime Director for the Downtown Nassau Partnership, an organization which he founded in 2008. He has been a key player in the city of Nassau’srevitalization since 1998.

He has two children, is married to a Bahamian, Donna. Frank is an island collector with an avid love for the Caribbean, its beauty, people, diversity, history and culture. He has travelled to 28 Caribbean destinations, most onmultiple occasions, plus 15 major islands in The Bahamas.

Mr. Gregg C.E. Rawlins, a national of Barbados was appointed Representative of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) Office in the Eastern Caribbean Countries, with effect from July 1, 2019.

Mr. Rawlins has over 30 years of experience in the field of agriculture at both the national and regional levels in the Caribbean Region. Immediately prior to his current appointment, Mr. Rawlins served as IICA Representative in Trinidad and Tobago between 2008 and 2019.

An Agricultural Economist, Mr. Rawlins has held positions with several key multinational agencies in the region. Immediately prior to his current appointment, Mr. Rawlins served as IICA Representative in Trinidad and Tobago between 2008 and 2019. Mr. Rawlins also served as Consultant Project Manager of the FAO/CARICOM/CARIFORUM Food Security Project in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.He has also held positions as aSenior Project Officerin Economic Policy and Sectoral Programmes with the CARICOM Secretariat in Georgetown, Guyana and as Chief Economist and Head of Planning at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in his native Barbados.

Graduate of Kingston College; Attended University London, (B.Vet.Med 1965.); Royal Veterinary College (MRCVS 1965); The University of Queensland (MVSc 1970), The University of the West Indies (Dip Mgt. Studies) having been awarded Jamaica Govt. and Commonwealth Scholarships. Hon LLD. 2018 (UTECH Jamaica)

Worked as teacher of natural science at Kingston College, Senior Veterinary Officer with the Ministry of Agriculture, Jamaica; Chief Technical Officer of the Jamaica Livestock Association and head of the Poultry Division, Seprod (JA.) Ltd.

Represented Canada and the Caribbean on Executives of the Commonwealth Veterinary Association and the Commonwealth Association of Professional Centers.

Founding Member of the Private Sector Organization of Jamaica (PSOJ), the Professional Societies Association of Jamaica (PSAJ) and the Caribbean Agribusiness Association.

Mr Cobin was General Manager of Goldenview Bar & Restaurantfrom 1976-1978/ Airport Restaurant Ltd, Supervisor, 1979, Asst. Manager, 1980/ Manager,1981 –1982/ Barbados flight Kitchen,Operation Manager 1982-1983/ Goddard Catering Group (Antigua) Ltd, General Manager, 1983 –2016/ Goddard Catering Group, Regional Manager Caribbean, 2016 to present.

Extracurricular activities include:

Treasurer Antigua Chamber of Commerce, 1992 –1994/ Vice President Antigua Barbuda Employers Federation2000 –2001/ President Antigua Barbuda Employers Federation, 2001 –2006/ Asst. Secretary Antigua Cricket Association, 1989 –1994/ Secretary Treasurer Leeward Island Cricket Asso.1994 –1997/ President Barbadian Society, 1991 –Present/ Hon. Consul of Barbados to Antigua, 1994 –Present/ Chairman State Insurance Corp. (Statutory Board), 2004 -2014/ Chairman National Labour Board, 2004 –2016/ Deputy chairman Cedar Valley Golf Club, 2004 -2014/ Director National Mortgage & Trust Company, 2004-2014

EnaHarvey currently serves as Representative of the IICA (Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture) Delegation in Barbados. Since 2002 she has led the Institute’s initiatives in agrotourism in Barbados, and at the hemispheric level in Latin America and the Caribbean. She is IICA’s representative on the CTO Board of Directors and has served as Vice-Chair on the CTO Sustainable Tourism Committee.

Her work in agrotourism is focused on: Strengthening of the policy and institutional framework in support of agrotourism and rural tourism; Generation of knowledge products, training courses, and documentation of success stories and good practices in tourism linkages; diagnostic assessments of potential agrotourism sites, events and attractions, and facilitation of business and investment opportunities and market access for stakeholders. This work was undertaken in several countries across the Caribbean, Latin America and the South Pacific in partnership with stakeholders in the public and private sector. She has also delivered several presentations and training sessions on agrotourism at regional and international conferences.

Ena possesses a wealth of knowledge and is passionate about the food culture and traditions of the Caribbean. Following the CTO-IICA development of a Food Tourism Strategy for the Caribbean in 2013, Ena worked with the CTA in Brussels to launch a Chefs for Development Platform for SIDS with the participation of the ACP countries, and in 2017, led the launch of the Caribbean Culinary Alliance with support from the CTA, CTO, CHTA and Caribbean Cuizine, Barbados.

Prior to joining IICA, she held the post of Food Technologist with CARIRI and from 1987 to 2002, she worked as a private consultant to several regional and international agencies on projects covering trade, export competitiveness, food security, education and training, sustainable agro-industrial development, and agro-tourism linkages across the entire Caribbean, as well as in Mauritius and Morocco.

She holds a B.Sc. First Class Hons. Degree in Agriculture (University of the West Indies (UWI), Trinidad & Tobago), and an M.Sc. in Agricultural Engineering (University of Guelph, Canada), as well as certification as a Trainer in HACCP, Foodservice Safety and World Class Benchmarking for SMEs. She is the current Vice President of the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Barbados and also volunteers as a soprano soloist.

The Honourable Edmund Bartlett, CD, MP has given over forty years of service to Jamaica, working both in the Senate and in the House of Representatives. Minister Bartlett was first appointed Minister of Tourism in 2007, serving until December 2011 and returned to the helm of the Ministry of Tourism in 2016.

Minister Bartlett has served as Vice Chairman of the UNWTO Executive Council and Chair of the Executive Council of the Affiliates as well as Vice Chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO). He is presently the Chair of the Regional Commission of the Americas(CAM) since being appointed in May 2019 and the founder and Co-Chair of the Global Tourism and Resilience Crisis Management (GTRCM) Centre at the University of the West Indies, Mona.

Tourism has been positioned by Minister Bartlett as a catalyst for economic growth and the transformation of communities. To this end, he highlighted five networks (Gastronomy, Shopping, Health and Wellness, Sports and Entertainment, and Knowledge) within the tourism sector and initiated the Tourism Linkages Network to strengthen sustainable linkages between tourism and other sectors of the economy.

Minister Bartlett’s numerous awards include Tourism Minister of the Year for Sustainable Tourism by the Pacific Area Travel Writers Association (2018); IIPT Champions in ChallengeAward (2018); Caribbean Tourism Minister of the Year at the Caribbean Travel Awards (2017); Caribbean Tourism Minister of Distinction award (2016); Caribbean's Leading Personality for Outstanding Services to Tourism (2016); conferred with the Order of Distinction in the rank of Commander (CD) for outstanding and important services to Jamaica (2012); and conferred with the Commander of Number of the Order of Civil Merit of Spain on the order of the King of Spain (2010).

Mr. Weir is anMBA graduate of the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill School of Business. The key components of his MBA are Leadership, Economics, Financial Accounting and Quantitative Business Analysis.

Mr. Weir has been appointed Minister of Agriculture and Food Security to bring about contemporary revolutionary changes to agriculture. His core responsibilities are to empower and enfranchise youth in agriculture in urban and rural districts; while utilizing technology as a transformational tool in response to climate change and ensuring food security and sovereignty.

He has already launched the Farmers Empowerment and Enfranchisement Drive (FEED) Programme, which is designed to include a Climate Smart Agriculture by using technology in green house systems with Hydroponics, Aquaculture and Agroproducts. The Programme will also respond to challenges associated with droughts, plant and animal health management, pesticides management and traceability systems. As Minister, he would have also piloted the Medicinal Cannabis Legislation in the Parliament of Barbados on August 30, 2019, for a Medicinal Cannabis Industry. Medicinal Cannabis Industry is another transformational initiative for Barbados’ economy.

Sandra Carvão is Chief of Tourism Market Intelligence and Competitiveness at the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) since June 2018. Before that, she was Chief of Communications and Publications for 8 years until May 2018 where she was responsible for UNWTO’s strategic positioning.

Prior to this post, Sandra was Deputy Chief at UNWTO’s Market Trends, Competitiveness and Trade in Tourism Services Department between 2007 and 2010. During this period, Sandra coordinated the Tourism Resilience Committee created by UNWTO to address the impacts of the global economic crisis 2008-2009 on tourism. Prior to joining UNWTO in 2003, Sandra held a position as market manager in the Portuguese National Tourist Office in Lisbon. Sandra has a degree in International Relations, Economics Branch, by the Instituto de Ciências Sociais e Políticas/Universidade Técnica de Lisboa and a postgraduade degree in Marketing by the Universidad Complutense de Madrid.

Introduction and Welcome

• Alejandro Varela, Deputy Regional Director for the Americas, World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)
• Lloyd Day, Deputy Director General, Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA)

Impact of COVID-19 on Tourism in the Caribbean and plans in place for recovery and mitigation of risk

Moderator: Sandra Carvao, Chief, Market Intelligence and Competitiveness, World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)

• Neil Walters, Secretary General (acting), Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO)
• Frank Comito, CEO and Director General, Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA)

Impact of COVID on Suppliers of Food to the Tourism and Hospitality Sector

Moderator: Gregg Rawlins, Representative in the Eastern Caribbean States (ECS), IICA

• Keith Amiel, Head of Corporate Affairs, Caribbean Broilers Group, Jamaica
• Pedro Corbin, Regional Manager, Caribbean Catering Operations, Goddards Catering Group, Antigua and Barbuda

Strengthening the Regional Food Supply System – Ongoing policy and private sector initiatives

Moderator: Ena Harvey, Hemispheric Specialist – Agrotourism & IICA Representative, Barbados

• Edmund Bartlett, Minister of Tourism, Jamaica
• Indar A. Weir, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Barbados

Q&A Session

• Moderator: Ena Harvey, Hemispheric Specialist in Agrotourism, IICA

Closing Remarks

• Lloyd Day, Deputy Director General, IICA
• Alejandro Varela, Deputy Regional Director for the Americas, UNWTO