Ministers of Tourism in the region have recognized the need for preparedness and a structured plan for the future survival of the tourism sector in the Caribbean. Tourism Ministers will be attending a Multi-Hazard Disaster Management Symposium in Barbados. Grenada will be represented by the Minister of Tourism Hon. Brenda Hood. The symposium is being held at this time because of the upcoming hurricane season and the devastation caused by Hurricane Ivan in Grenada, Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, and Hurricane Jeanne in Haiti. These Hurricanes devastated the tourism industry in Grenada and the Cayman islands and caused 3100 deaths and US $50 billon in damages through out the region. The symposium is hosted by the regional Ministries of Tourism in conjunction with the Barbados Central Emergency Relief Organization (CERO), the Barbados Tourism Authority (BTA) and the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA). Source: Ministry of Tourism, Culture, Civil Aviation & the Performing Arts