Actor, director, travel writer Andrew McCarthy to keynote Climate Smart Sustainable Tourism Forum

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The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), the region’s tourism development agency, has partnered with National Geographic Traveler to invite Andrew McCarthy, the magazine’s editor-at-large and actor, director and award-winning travel writer, to deliver the keynote address at the Climate Smart Sustainable Tourism Forum, taking place Sept. 6 – 8 at the Ocean Terrace Inn in St. Kitts.

“We are grateful that our relationship with National Geographic Traveler has created the opportunity for Andrew McCarthy to address attendees at the Climate Smart Sustainable Tourism Forum,” said Hugh Riley, secretary general of the CTO. “Mr. McCarthy has extensive knowledge of the Caribbean, having travelled and written about the many of our member countries. We look forward to his insight on this valuable topic impacting our region,” added Riley.

In addition to his role as editor-at-large at National Geographic Traveler, McCarthy has written for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, The Atlantic, Travel + Leisure, AFAR, Men’s Journal, Bon Appetit, and many others. He has received six Lowell Thomas awards, and been named Travel Journalist of the Year by The Society of American Travel Writers. His travel memoir, The Longest Way Home, became a New York Times Best Seller, and the Financial Times of London named it one of the Best Books of 2012.

McCarthy made his professional acting debut at 19 while attending New York University as a theatre major. He has since appeared in dozens of films, including The Spiderwick Chronicles and The Joy Luck Club, as well as such iconic movies as Pretty in Pink, St. Elmo’s Fire, Less Then Zero, and cult favorites Weekend At Bernie’s and Mannequin. He has starred on Broadway and on television, appearing on numerous shows. He is also a highly-regarded television director, having worked on The Blacklist, Orange is the New Black, Alpha House, Black Box, Gossip Girl and White Collar, among others. McCarthy was known as a member of the 1980s “Brat Pack” of young actors that included Anthony Michael Hall, Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, Molly Ringwald and Ally Sheedy.

Themed Good for Us, Better for All, the Climate Smart Sustainable Tourism Forum is an officially listed activity for the “International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development.” In partnership with member country St. Kitts, the Forum will provide a tangible opportunity to meet, share best practices, network, and stimulate positive change that yields a sustainable Caribbean tourism industry. The event will bring together local, regional, and international representatives from public and private sector tourism entities, as well as development agencies that offer programming in sustainable tourism.

Major elements will include best practice sharing and strategic consultations for a CTO climate adaptation project funded by the Caribbean Development Bank, in order to strengthen holistic destination management approaches in the Caribbean.

The Climate Smart Sustainable Tourism Forum will also feature experiential field visits, a meeting of CTO’s Sustainable Tourism Technical Committee, and winning presentations from CTO’s Primary School Tourism Writing Competition. The event culminates with the presentation ceremony for CTO’s 2017 Sustainable Tourism Awards which recognize regional sustainability champions.

Organizing partners include the CTO, the St. Kitts Ministry of Tourism, the St. Kitts Sustainable Destination Council, and Sustainable Travel International.

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Chief Assignment Editor

Chief Assignment editor is Oleg Siziakov

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