The Caribbean Tourism Organization's Communications Specialist Johnson Johnrose speaks Neil Walters, the Secretary-General (acting), Director, Finance & Resource Management at the Caribbean Tourism Organization. 

Neil is also responsible for CTO’s financial management and ensuring that the organization’s funds are properly utilized. He joined CTO in 2000 and has held the position of Director of Finance and Resource Management since November 2009. Neil is a graduate of the University of the West Indies and the AICPA. Prior to coming to CTO, he worked in different areas of accounting in local and international organizations.

However, he maintains that to date, this has been his most rewarding job as it allows him to contribute to the development of Caribbean people.

The Caribbean Tourism Organization's Communications Specialist Johnson Johnrose speaks to Ed Limon. Ed is a Toronto-based Filmmaker, Producer & Virtual Reality Expert with over 10 years of film & technology experience. He graduated from York University with a Degree in Fine Arts & Cultural Studies & has been recognized within the film industry for his love of the arts & innovative solutions such as VR & AR.

Ed has produced various commercials & film work throughout his career for national & world renown corporations such as Sunwing Vacations, Blue Diamonds Royalton, Memories & Chic Resorts, Sandals Antigua, the Pan Am Games, Fuji Film and much more. Over the past few years he has become quite known within the travel & tourism industry to produce virtual reality 360 Videos for tourism authorities & agencies such as Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, Mexico and various other hotel & resort chains. Ed is a leader in virtual reality storytelling & a developer of VR business applications. His expertise within travel & tourism has enhanced consumer experiences & training purposes.

He’s been known to coin the phrase: “The purpose of this incredible technology is to educate, inspire & entice both consumers & agents to better understand the destination”. His Studio “Winged Whale Media” has had the opportunity to conduct various workshops, keynote presentations & public speaking. He loves mentoring youth and aspiring storytellers to embrace technology and the art of filmmaking. He is the father of three beautiful daughters & husband to his dear wife Claudia Limon.”

The Caribbean Tourism Organization's Communications Specialist Johnson Johnrose speaks to Seleni Matus, the Executive Director of the International Institute of Tourism at the George Washington University.  She has spent more than 15 years designing and directing large, multi-stakeholder initiatives, such as the Mesoamerican Reef Tourism Initiative and the Sustainable Destinations Alliance of the Americas, that have mainstreamed sustainable tourism principles into key sectors of the tourism industry.

Seleni has worked in close collaboration with governments and private sector in tourism destinations throughout the Caribbean and Latin America to develop and implement sustainable management plans and programs that have enhanced the quality of tourism offerings and helped to ensure the long-term health of natural ecosystems. She has also assisted multinational corporations, such as Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., to implement strategies for destination stewardship.

A native of Belize, Seleni served as the country’s Director of Tourism and oversaw the reorganization of the Belize Tourism Board in order to meet the demands of a fiercely competitive global marketplace. Earlier in her career, she developed the country’s tour guide training and certification program and managed the Programme for Belize’s ecotourism tour operation and lodges.

She has co-authored several publications including, Linking Communities, Tourism & Conservation: A Tourism Assessment Process; From Ship to Shore: Sustainable Stewardship in Cruise Destinations; Tourism and Biodiversity: Mapping Tourism’s Global Footprint; and, Indigenous People and the Travel Industry: Practical Global Guidelines to Good Practice.

The Caribbean Tourism Organization's Communications Specialist Johnson Johnrose speaks to Dr. Peter E. Tarlow. Dr Tarlow is a world-renowned speaker and expert specializing in the impact of crime and terrorism on the tourism industry, event and tourism risk management, and economic development. Since 1990, Tarlow has been teaching courses on tourism, crime & terrorism to police forces and security and tourism professionals throughout the world.

Tarlow earned his Ph.D. in sociology from Texas A&M University. He also holds degrees in history, in Spanish and Hebrew literatures, and in psychotherapy. In 1996, Tarlow became Hoover Dam’s consultant for tourism development and security. In 1998, Tarlow’s role at the Bureau of Reclamation expanded. He was asked to develop a tourism security program for all Bureau of Reclamation properties and visitor centers. Tarlow continued his involvement with the Bureau of Reclamation until December of 2012. In 1999, the US Customs service asked Tarlow to work with its agents in the area of customer service, cultural awareness, and custom’s impact on the tourism and visitor industry.

The Caribbean Tourism Organization's Communications Specialist Johnson Johnrose speaks to Peter Cerda, Regional Vice President, The Americas, The International Air Transport Association (IATA). IATA is the trade association for the world’s airlines, representing some 290 airlines or 82% of total air traffic 

Peter’s scope of responsibility extends from North to South America with a large local presence in more than 25 countries across the region.

With over 27 years in aviation, Peter has worked in various functions for IATA and most recently served as Regional Director for Safety, Operations and Infrastructure for the Americas and Atlantic until 2013.

Prior to joining IATA in 1996, Peter started his aviation career with Iberia. Peter speaks English and Spanish having lived in Spain and the US and holds a Master’s Degree in Aeronautics and Aviation Management from Embry Riddle University and a Bachelor of Business Administration at Florida International University.

The Caribbean Tourism Organization's Communications Specialist Johnson Johnrose speaks to Professor Clive Landis, the Chairman of the University of the West Indies Covid-19 Task Force.   Professor Clive Landis has held a number of leadership positions at the University of the West Indies. He has fostered collaborations both inside and outside the university; in Professor Landis' view: "collaboration is the engine of my productivity as an academic and an administrator".  Currently, he is the Por-Vice-Chancellor for Undergraduate Studies and Research and is also Professor of Cardiovascular Research, George Alleyne Chronic Disease Research Centre, The University of the West Indies, Barbados. From 2015 – 2019, Professor Landis served as the Deputy Principal, of the Cave Hill Campus, The University of the West Indies, Barbados and from  2013 – 2015, he held the position of Director, ofGeorge Alleyne Chronic Disease Research Centre, The University of the West Indies, Barbados.

His ongoing research remains focused on the role of inflammation, particularly the resolution of inflammation, in vascular diseases and recovery from surgery. Recently, he ihas focused on viral research: established viruses such as HIV as well as emerging viruses such as Zika and COVID-19.  Professor Landis has sought to help build preparedness and capacity in the Caribbean to deal with such pandemics as Zika andCOVID-19 as Chair of the UWI Zika Task Force in 2016 (www.uwi.edu/zika) and Chair of the UWI COVID-19 Task Force in 2020.

Over the years, Professor Landis has successfully secured a number of  research grants and engaged in fundraising for The University of the West Indies.

The Caribbean Tourism Organization's Communications Specialist Johnson Johnrose speaks to Emile Gourieux,  the Hotel Sector Business Development Executive for STR in Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean and Rico Louw, the Senior Account Manager and Client Liaison at STR, Inc., with a special focus in US Central States, Mexico, and the Caribbean region. STR provides clients with premium, global data benchmarking and analytics.

In this second episode of 'COVID-19 -The unwanted visitor', the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) Communications Specialist Johnson Johnrose talks with Carla Santiago, the general manager of Edelman Miami, a global communications firm that partners with businesses and organisations to evolve, promote and protect their brands and reputations.

In this first episode of 'COVID-19 -The unwanted visitor', the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) Communications Specialist Johnson Johnrose talks with Dr. Katija Khan, a member of the University of the West Indies (UWI) Covid-19 Task Force and a Clinical Psychologist and Lecturer in Clinical Psychology in the Department of Clinical Medical Sciences at The UWI St. Augustine Campus.