CARIBBEAN-CTO chairman says tourism needle moving “in the right direction.”

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) Council of Ministers and Commissioner of Tourism, Kenneth Bryan, says the “needle is certainly moving in the right direction” as he outlined several new initiatives aimed at further consolidating the regional tourism industry as it rebounds from the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and other problems, including air connectivity.

“Great strides have been made, and many of our jurisdictions ended 2022 registering higher than predicted visitor arrivals. That indicates that the sector is bouncing back, and hopes are high that the robust pace of recovery will continue into 2023 and beyond,” Bryan told a news conference.

He said that this is a position also supported by stakeholders, such as the World Travel and Tourism Council, which has forecast 5.5 percent annual growth for the Caribbean over the next ten years, and the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), which is predicting Caribbean economic growth of 5.7 [percent in 2023, based in part on the continued revival of tourism.

“So although we have not yet surpassed 2019’s numbers across the board in every jurisdiction, the needle is certainly moving in the right direction,” Bryan said.

He told reporters aside from economic growth across the region, he regards 2023 as a period of growth and development for the CTO and that his primary focus is to start the ball rolling on several initiatives which will strengthen the Barbados-based organization and allow it to be more effective and responsive to the needs and aspirations of the member states.

“It is also my intention to strengthen the relationships with other organizations such as the United Nations World Travel Organisation (UNWTO), the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), and even the Central American Tourism Promotion Agency (CATA) to foster greater collaboration.”

He said that with the Caribbean being one of the most tourism-dependent regions in the world and the industry moving from recovery to growth, there is an acute need to ensure that the CTO is appropriately sized and structured to fulfill the needs and objectives of the Members.

“With this background in mind, consideration is being given to restructuring the organization and reforming its strategic vision and direction for the next five years,” he said, noting that the organization has been without an appointed Secretary General for a lengthy period.

He said the question of leadership had been one of the primary areas identified for immediate attention and that following a detailed review process, a new job description has been formulated for the Secretary-General position.

“The newly revised job description more closely reflects the current needs and relevance of the organization and ensures that the role is structured so that the most senior executive in the organization has more autonomy and is empowered to provide the level of support expected from the territories we serve. The vacancy has been widely advertised across the region, with an open recruitment process currently underway. “

Bryan said apart from addressing the organization’s leadership, he is also committed to growing the membership of the CTO and was delighted last month to welcome The US Virgin Islands into the fold.

“I will also be reaching out to other countries in the Caribbean diaspora to bring them on board, hopefully,” he said, adding that to build membership successfully, it is incumbent on the CTO to demonstrate the value and benefits members can derive effectively.

“To help inform this process, in November of 2022, all of our members were surveyed to gather their input on the initiatives, programs, and issues they would like to prioritize in the coming 12 – 24 months. This information and data will help ensure that the Secretariat’s work not only dovetails with the members’ goals and expectations but also helps facilitate growth within their respective tourism industries.”

Bryan said it is also imperative to present a unified Caribbean region as he announced the return of the CTO’s Caribbean Week, which will be held in New York from June 5-8 this year.

“Plans are still in the development stages, but the vision is for the event to include business development opportunities, consumer engagement, media forums, workshops, and cultural activities celebrating the wonderful sights, sounds, and flavors of our Caribbean destinations. The CTO will publish more information as it becomes available, so please look out for it.”

Regarding what he described as the “nagging issue of air connectivity,” Bryan said that tourism is a significant economic driver for every stakeholder, “and yet the lack of inter-regional air connectivity continues to pose a risk to our resilience and sustainability.

“It is a situation that has existed and been talked about for decades and has worsened due to the economic effects of the COVID pandemic.”

Bryan said that because the slowdown in tourism has caused airlines to re-evaluate their business structures and routes from a position of profitability more than connectivity, there is also the added burden of a global shortage of pilots, adding another layer of complexity to this longstanding issue.

“It would be illogical for me to promise a solution to this issue during my tenure as chairman. But I can, and will commit to, getting the players around the table to forensically examine what we need to do as a unified region to improve this scenario and start the ball rolling towards the solution.”

He said aside from the convenience, improving regional connectivity would have a knock-on effect that would positively influence travel for all sorts of reasons, such as business, leisure, sports, conferences, and meetings, and could potentially transform the region.

“The added benefit, aside from tourism, is that it would facilitate and encourage residents across the Caribbean to travel more easily to other islands to visit family and friends,” Bryan said, adding that he was looking forward to continuing to work alongside stakeholders and partners to maintain the momentum of growth while also continuing to build more resilience in the tourism space.

Bryan said he is also aware of the high cost of living, rising energy costs, the escalation of geopolitical tensions in Europe, and the ever-present risk of COVID variants that could impact visitor travel and threaten the pace of the tourism recovery in the Caribbean.

“All of these issues can have a disruptive effect on visitation, which is why it is so important for future resilience to be underpinned by coordinated action, strategic thinking, and cooperation on the ground,” he added.