MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica -- The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) Caribbean Travel Marketplace 42nd conference was recently held in Jamaica. The event, held in Montego Bay, from May 20th to May 23rd, at the Montego Bay Convention Center, was abuzz with approximately 1,000 delegates, 150 companies, 50 international journalists and several regional tourism ministers all to discuss enhancing tourism in the Caribbean.
(L-R): CHTA President, Nicola Madden-Greig, Jamaica's Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett, and the President of Jamaica's Hotel and Tourism Association Robin Russell. (Photo Courtesy of CHTA)Nicola Madden-Greig, President of the CHTA, opened the four-day conference by speaking on the State of Caribbean Tourism, and the contribution of tourism to the GDP of the 33 Caribbean destinations that is represented by CHTA.
She cited an Economic Impact Report that said in 2019, the total GDP contribution was 13.7% but it is expected to increase to 14.2% by 2032. And in 2019, the travel and tourism sector employed 15.6% persons but that it is expected to increase to 17.7% by 2032. “So that means, we employ a hell of a lot of people – excuse my French,” said Madden-Greig.
The President described the Caribbean as “being the most tourism dependent region in the world,” and said when the COVID pandemic began some in the industry thought the region would be the last to recover. “Not only have we recovered but we have grown,” said Madden-Greig.
She pointed to an additional study that CHTA conducted with the World Travel & Tourism Council that said by 2032 the Caribbean has the potential of doubling its GDP and adding an additional 1.34 million job by 2032.
Regarding the key ingredient to the tourism industry. The Hon. Edmund Bartlett, Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism said, “The number one concern of tourism must be the workers of the tourism industry. It’s not the responsibility of the public sector or the private sector alone. It’s a joint responsibility and we all must share in enabling the best labor environment within, which will endear to heighten productivity, great performances and most importantly the excellence of service.”
Minister Bartlett, continued by saying that when a tourists visits a location, “60% of the value of the experience is service. Service is what is given from the heart. So we must build an environment and enable our people to grow and develop.”
The four-day conference touched on many aspects of the tourism sector, among them: integrating tourism development, sustainability, community involvement, pension plans for workers, updating and inputting technology, the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) market, supporting services, housing, sustainability, policy directives, private sector investments and transportation.
The Montego Bay Convention Center was also home to the Caribbean Travel Marketplace that allowed stakeholders from across the region to place booths and allow for scheduled 20-minute appointments. Representatives from big and small hoteliers, car rentals, tourism ministries and authorities and several air line carriers, beauty and wellness companies, tour groups and so many more were able to showcase their products.
Regarding awards, The Bahamas received the Caribbean Destination Resilience Award, for destinations with over 500,000 annual stopover visitors, the runner ups in the category were Aruba and Puerto Rico. In the small destination category, St. Lucia received the award in the Excellence in Sustainable Tourism Award, ahead of Bonaire and St. Marteen. And, Patricia Alfonso-Dass, received the 2024 CHTA Caribbean Hotelier of the Year.
On “Responsible Tourism Day,” Thursday, May 23rd, which was also Labor Day in Jamaica, a national holiday, participants volunteered by helping to revitalize the SOS Children’s Villages in Barrett Town through painting and carpentry repairs, while others participated in a beach clean up at the Montego Bay Marine Park picking up plastic and glass bottles and other debris laying around.
With projections for tourism growth in the double digits over the next ten years, the Caribbean's economic strength was on full display at CHTA's 42nd Annual Marketplace.
