🇫🇷Martinique

On-Site Martinique: Commuting to Work at the 2013 CTO State of the Industry Conference

You may not know it from the typically fun and rummy pics I’ve been posting to Facebook and sharing on Instagram this week, but I am actually enduring quite the rigorous work schedule during my current visit to Martinique. I’m here for the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s annual State of the Industry Conference (SOTIC 2013), as daunting a series of meetings, workshops, press conferences, and schmoozing as you’ll come across in the Caribbean tourism industry.

This is serious business as hundreds of delegates, consisting primarily of tourism ministers, directors of tourism, policy makers, and politicians are all here working together to improve the general state of the one industry most Caribbean islands share in common.

In such a pressure-packed environment, it’s sometimes hard to relax, have a little fun, and appreciate the amazing natural surroundings.

Not so in Martinique. Each SOTIC 2013 day begins and ends with the scene pictured above, a leisurely ferry boat commute across the Bay of Fort-de-France between Trois-Ilets, where the majority of conference guests are staying, and the town of Le Schoelcher, where the actual meetings are being held.

If any delegates have any stress before hopping aboard for the 30-minute ride, it most certainly dissipates once the engines get started, we’re out in the Bay, and the majestic Pitons du Carbet come into view…

Le Pitons du Carbet, Martinique | SBPR
Le Pitons du Carbet, Martinique | SBPR

Below the Pitons, the city of Fort-de-France stretches from left to right, melding into Le Schoelcher, our destination, to the west. It’s as soothing and relaxing a start to the work day as you can imagine; one that many local Martinicans experience each day commuting across the Bay to day jobs downtown.

The breeze, a passing bird, some laughs; this sure beats fighting your way onto a subway car, or edging into merging traffic.

Soon enough, our destination comes into view…

Arriving at Le Schoelcher, Martinique | SBPR
Arriving at Le Schoelcher, Martinique | SBPR

If only every work day could start like this…

Last updated by Steve Bennett on .

Related Posts

🇫🇷Martinique

Les Yoles de Martinique

A rich tradition born long ago in Martinique for practical purposes like fishing and transportation, the art of yoles sailing is still nurtured and cherished today through the annual staging of Le Tour des Yoles Rondes.
60
Shares
🇫🇷Martinique

Revisiting Grande Anse-D’Arlet, Martinique

It was a typically balmy afternoon in Grande Anse-d'Arlet this past Saturday.
260
Shares
🇫🇷Martinique

Saturday Video: Missing Martinique

11
Shares
Send this to a friend