By Rai Umraopati Ray
The 42nd Caribbean Travel Marketplace, hosted by Jamaica and organised by the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), launched with great optimism. This significant event brought together leading regional and international experts to discuss tourism business opportunities and strategies for success in the Caribbean. The goal is to reimagine the region’s tourism landscape in light of new opportunities and challenges facing the industry.
Edmund Bartlett, Minister of Tourism of Jamaica said in his opening remarks at the panel discussion, “It is projected that in the next 25 – 50 years, 1.5 billion more tourists will be added to existing 1.4 billion tourists. New economies are emerging with great capacity for travel, for instance, India is projected to be number 3rd economy in the next 5 years with 100 million middle class population ready to fly all over. That the impact of some of new economies emerging from Eastern Europe is going to present opportunity and challenges to tourism. Close to 750 million people are living in South America with enormous potential for travel. China is going to continue to be a big market including other Asian countries. Canada is equally projected to grow exponentially as well as Africa. This is the global sketch of new tourists in the coming years. So the global tourism industry has to be prepare for 3 billion tourists going across the planet Earth. Imagine the level of development that is required to cater to these numbers and provide adequate supply to demands of these tourists.”
CHTA President Nicola Madden-Greig, in her “State of the Industry” address, shared key data and insights from CHTA’s annual ‘Performance and Outlook Survey’. The survey highlighted the resilience and growth of the Caribbean tourism industry, showing overwhelmingly positive results while also identifying ongoing challenges. Speaking at the third annual Caribbean Travel Forum, she noted, “In Q3 and Q4, Caribbean tourism arrivals increased more rapidly than in Q1 and Q2, with the most significant change compared to 2019 occurring in September and October 2023. The Caribbean saw the largest increase in tourist arrivals from Canada (+46.1%) compared to 2022, while arrivals from Germany decreased by 5.8%.”
She listed out four pointers of the Caribbean Vision namely — Air Connectivity (air connectivity with new low-cost carriers from existing and new markets; Multi-Destination Travel (multi-destination travel as visitors seek to explore and discover the entire Caribbeans; Digital Solutions (digital solutions, modern infrastructure and highly trained, certified and skilled work force with region wide portability) and Authentic Product Offerings (leveraging our culture, cuisine and natural assets – Sun, Sea, Sand, Mountains and Rivers).
Attendees had the opportunity to gain valuable insights from distinguished speakers. Esteemed travel writer, author, and advisor on destination development Doug Lansky delivered the keynote address, offering perspectives on navigating the evolving landscape of Caribbean tourism.
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