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Actor, Director, Travel Writer Andrew McCarthy to Keynote Climate
Smart Sustainable Tourism Forum

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (Aug. 22, 2017) – The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), the region’s tourism
development agency, has partnered with National Geographic Traveler to invite Andrew McCarthy, the
magazine’s editor-at-large and actor, director and award-winning travel writer, to deliver the keynote address at

the Climate Smart Sustainable Tourism Forum, taking place Sept. 6 – 8 at the Ocean Terrace Inn in St. Kitts.
“We are grateful that our relationship with National Geographic Traveler has created the opportunity for Andrew

McCarthy to address attendees at the Climate Smart Sustainable Tourism Forum,” said Hugh Riley, secretary
general of the CTO. “Mr. McCarthy has extensive knowledge of the Caribbean, having travelled and written about
the many of our member countries. We look forward to his insight on this valuable topic impacting our region,”

added Riley.
In addition to his role as editor-at-large at National Geographic Traveler, McCarthy has written for The New York

Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, The Atlantic, Travel + Leisure, AFAR, Men’s Journal, Bon
Appetit, and many others. He has received six Lowell Thomas awards, and been named Travel Journalist of the Year
by The Society of American Travel Writers. His travel memoir, The Longest Way Home, became a New York

Times Best Seller, and the Financial Times of London named it one of the Best Books of 2012.
McCarthy made his professional acting debut at 19 while attending New York University as a theatre major. He has

since appeared in dozens of films, including The Spiderwick Chronicles and The Joy Luck Club, as well as such
iconic movies as Pretty in Pink, St. Elmo’s Fire, Less Then Zero, and cult favorites Weekend At Bernie’s and
Mannequin. He has starred on Broadway and on television, appearing on numerous shows. He is also a highly-

regarded television director, having worked on The Blacklist, Orange is the New Black, Alpha House, Black Box,
Gossip Girl and White Collar, among others. McCarthy was known as a member of the 1980s “Brat Pack” of young

actors that included Anthony Michael Hall, Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, Molly Ringwald and Ally Sheedy.

Themed Good for Us, Better for All, the Climate Smart Sustainable Tourism Forum is an officially listed activity
for the “International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development.” In partnership with member country St. Kitts,
the Forum will provide a tangible opportunity to meet, share best practices, network, and stimulate positive change

that yields a sustainable Caribbean tourism industry. The event will bring together local, regional, and international
representatives from public and private sector tourism entities, as well as development agencies that offer

programming in sustainable tourism.
Major elements will include best practice sharing and strategic consultations for a CTO climate adaptation project
funded by the Caribbean Development Bank, in order to strengthen holistic destination management approaches in

the Caribbean.