Minister of Tourism Obie Wilchcombe will be the keynote speaker at the 7th annual Exuma Business Outlook next week, where he is expected to speak about tourism challenges and a long-term strategy for the island’s economic growth.

The one-day conference will take place November 21 at Sandals Emerald Bay Resort and is hosted by the TCL Group.

Joan Albury, TCL Group president, said: “Tourism is the heart of the economy of this subgroup of our archipelago and certainly the largest employer of Exumians. Given the current challenges, especially in the hotel sector, Mr Wilchcombe’s input is eagerly awaited.”

Additional speakers at the event include the recently appointed head of the Exuma Chamber of Commerce Pedro Rolle, president of the Bahamas Hotel Association Stuart Bowe, chief executive officer of Bahamas Telecommunications Co Geoff Houston and president of the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employer’s Confederation Chester Cooper.

The theme of the conference is New Challenges Call for New Paradigms: Identifying a Development Formula for Exuma and it will address the obstacles to increased tourism in Exuma, such as insufficient airlift, challenges facing the hotel sector and the need for a sustainable tourism product.

cmorris@dupuch.com