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More business trips for 2007 Wellness industry healthy for region's tourism 'Genius of Ja' campaign moves to next level Sustainable tourism confab set for Cayman Islands Carib health tourism & spa symposium for May

Janet Silvera Photo - FDR masseuse Veneicia Pinnock, gives Connie Thompson of Newfoundland, Canada, a full body massage at the outdoor seaside spa at the resort. Mrs. Thompson who spends six months out of each year at the resort has the luxury of the sea beckoning to her, while receiving a calming effect

"Domain fragmentation is the root cause of inefficiency and non-competitiveness in any region or country," says Dr. Constantine Constantinides, health tourism domain integration expert, who will address the Caribbean Health Tourism & Spa Symposium. Health experts are expected from the U.S. Canada, Greece and the Caribbean.

The impressive team will present papers and hold seminars and workshops on various topics on health tourism at the May 13-14 event at the Hilton Kingston.

Held under the banner 'Uniting the Caribbean Health Tourism Markets', Dr. Constantinides, founder and CEO of HealthCare Cybernetics, a specialist in health tourism, will address the issue of domain fragmentation, which he says is the root cause of inefficiency and non-competitiveness in any region or country.

conventional tourism declining

Coming from a country of many islands and an economy heavily dependent on tourism, Dr. Constantinides' observation that the demand for conventional tourism was on the decline internationally, led him in 1997 to add health tourism as one of the domains that his reknown 'think and do tank' addresses.

He notes that with fierce international competition among those offering health tourism services, and in order to stay ahead of (or on par with) the competition, one had to be as efficient as possible. His research led to his comment that health tourism was fragmented - and by definition inefficient.

His expertise in health tourism domain integration, education and training provide the framework for the roundtable discussion on 'Standardisation and Accreditation of the Caribbean Health & Spa Tourism Sector'.

He will also speak at the symposium on the topics 'Integrating Internet Technology within the Health Tourism Domain' and 'Integrating Indigenous Healers into the Health Tourism domain'.

Ambassador, Dr. Richard Bernal, director general, Regional Negotiating Machinery, will address the conference on May 13; while Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace, secretary general, Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO), makes his presentation on May 14.

key international experts

Several other key international experts will participate in the Caribbean Health Tourism & Spa Symposium.

Eric Light, one of the key organisers of the highly-touted Day Spa Expo Business Forum, U.S. and president of the International Medical Spa Association returns to Jamaica, to speak on 'Emotional Branding, the Power of Love'.

Hannelore Leavy, worldwide founder and executive director of the Day Spa Association, joins Mr. Light.

This year's symposium topics include 'Financial Institutions Marketing to the Health & Spa Tourism sector'; 'How to market Caribbean Health Tourism Overseas'; 'The use of natural foods in treatment modalities' and 'Developing private label products for hotels and spas'.

Workshops cover topics on 'Relaxation vs. Therapy'; 'Hydrospatherapy - A Key Element in Caribbean Health Tourism' and 'The Importance of Relaxation in Health'.

Demonstrations feature sunfired food preparation; the Alexander technique and energetic medicine and quantum biofeedback.