CARIBBEAN-Caribbean hoteliers warn of complacency.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – President of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), Nicola Madden-Greig, Wednesday said despite the significant progress and successes of the regional tourism industry, stakeholders must not allow complacency to set in but keep public-private cooperation at the forefront of all development efforts.

Madden-Greig, participating in a Caribbean virtual forum marking World Tourism Day, said the region can nearly double earnings from the industry by 2032.

The forum was organized in collaboration with the Barbados-based Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) and a consortium of regional and international entities, including CHTA.

According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) Economic Impact of Caribbean Tourism report, the Caribbean travel and tourism sector could achieve an average annual growth rate of 6.7 percent, reaching US$96.6 billion in 2032, up from US$50.5 billion in 2022.

Regarding employment, jobs in the Caribbean could grow by an average of 4.5 percent annually, creating 1.34 million new jobs by 2032.

But the Jamaican-born hotelier said that “to meet or even exceed this target will require the collaborative effort of the public, private sector, and every Caribbean national:

World Tourism Day is being observed under the theme “Investing in People, Planet and Prosperity,” and Madden-Greig acknowledged the transformative role of tourism in the Caribbean.

She spoke of the initiatives of the CHTA Education Foundation, highlighting the return of the Caribbean Hotel Industry Educational Forum (CHIEF) scheduled for November 30 to December 1 this year in Miami.

“We have seen hundreds of thousands of Caribbean nationals gain employment at all levels, many rising to the very pinnacle of the industry as general managers, some have become owners of micro, small, and even larger tourism-related enterprises with a few becoming regional and international players. While these achievements are notable, we must continue to ensure our people increase their ownership and capitalize on this industry’s potential.”

Madden-Greig stressed the importance of fostering “generational wealth” through tourism in the Caribbean.

“We must collaborate more on developing our people through better training, incorporating new technology and systems to add more relevance to our education programs, and ensure our youth are prepared to compete at the highest level,” she said, discussing the need for education and training.

Regarding efforts to deal with the impact of climate change, she said, “The tourism industry can be an exemplar, putting in more measures to manage waste, reducing our water and electricity consumption, restore our reefs and mangroves, safeguard our wildlife, and build a culture of preservation and protection.

“Harnessing the potential of the Blue Economy presents a real opportunity for the region. Through tourism, we can play our part in doing this,” Madden-Greig said, highlighting the vital work of CHTA’s environmental arm, the Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism (CAST).

CAST has not only signed on to the Glasgow climate pact but also is leveraging strategic partnerships with the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre, Caribbean Biodiversity Fund, Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), Re: Wild, Fauna and Flora International, and the CTO to address these issues collectively.

Madden-Greig said the theme for World Tourism Day also highlights the tourism sector’s indispensable role in the Caribbean’s economy, including its contributions to taxes, infrastructure, education, law enforcement, and health care.

“The opportunity to realize even greater returns from tourism investments is possible if we work together in tackling our challenges.

“We must continually be mindful that tourism must continue to be developed responsibly, protecting and uplifting our planet, respecting and enhancing our environment, and ensuring our people can fairly share in the fruits of our collective efforts.”