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CHTA Travel Forum: Redefinition of tourism post COVID needed to accelerate growth in the Region, says Minister Bartlett

The 41st CHTA Caribbean Travel Marketplace, being held in Barbados from May 9-11, is the largest regional annual event, which brings together buyers and sellers of the region’s tourism products and services.

BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS – Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett has urged regional tourism stakeholders to redefine the industry in what can now be described as the new post-COVID era.

Speaking at the Caribbean Hotel and Tourist Association’s (CHTA) Travel Forum and Awards luncheon at Sandals Royal Barbados, Minister Bartlett said: “In this post-COVID era, we must as a region rethink and redefine the meaning of tourism if we are to maximize our earnings and growth. We must begin to appreciate the fact that tourism is so much more than hotels, cruise lines and attractions and that there are direct, indirect and induced economic benefits in the tourism value chain that can accelerate growth in the region.”

The CHTA Travel Forum, which was held under the theme, “Tourism the Key Driver of Generational Wealth for Caribbean Nationals” included Hon. Kenneth Bryan, Minister of Tourism and Transport, Cayman Islands, and Chairman, Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO); Hon. Ian Gooding-Edghill, Minister of Tourism and International Transport, Barbados, and Marc Melville, CEO, Chukka Caribbean.

“Tourism happens successfully because of all the sectors and subsectors that supply experiences, so there is a strong place for agriculture, technology, health and manufacturing and many more. The real wealth of tourism therefore lies in the capacity to supply on the demands of the industry,” added Minister Bartlett.

The Caribbean Travel Forum, held within the margins of CHTA Caribbean Travel Marketplace, is a new event focusing on the business of tourism in the Caribbean with specific emphasis on topics such as intra-Caribbean travel with a focus on air connectivity and multi-destination marketing, sustainability, technology innovations, labour market constraints and taxation.

“If 42% of people travel for just food, it means that suppliers of agricultural goods and services have the potential to really earn, and this is just one sector. We need to let everyone know that tourism is for them because once you have an idea you can convert that idea into tangible wealth,” Minister Bartlett noted.

The CHTA Travel Forum panel also looked at the impact of climate change and new technologies such as Artificial Intelligence on the tourism industry. Minister Bartlett in these discussions made another call for the establishment of a Resilience Fund that would allow every traveller to contribute a monetary sum towards their carbon footprints. He also embraced the new technologies that will shape tourism in the future by advocating for “training, training, training to ensure a better understanding to leverage them.”

Minister Bartlett Receives CHTA President’s Award for Caribbean Excellence in Tourism

Also, Hon Edmund Bartlett has been recognized for his stellar contribution to the regional tourism industry. The Minister received the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association’s prestigious President’s Award for Caribbean Excellence in Tourism. “The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association is acutely aware that resilience strengthens Caribbean tourism, and it is a message that has reached all corners of the region and the world largely because of the efforts of one man, the Honourable Edmund Bartlett, Jamaica’s dynamic Minister of Tourism. This is one of the many reasons why we honour him today,” said President of the CHTA, Mrs. Nicola Madden-Greig.

One of Minister Bartlett’s notable international successes was the establishment of The Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC), which assembles distinguished international experts to examine resilience from multiple viewpoints, a timely and much needed forum for the examination of the key elements needed to strengthen the region’s major economic driver, tourism.

“It is always good to be recognized for your hard work and dedication, but this award is extra special as it is coming from my regional partners who I have worked shoulder to shoulder with for many years to improve our tourism experience and ultimately arrivals and earnings,” said Minister Bartlett.

Mr Bartlett was also cited as an advocate for harmonizing cooperation and collaboration among Caribbean countries and has called for a single use visa to encourage visitors to travel to multiple destinations in the region.

He has also encouraged the larger international airlines to dedicate more flights to the Caribbean. Stressing it was possible to compete as well as cooperate with each other, he coined the word “co-petition.”

“There is much more work to be done and I believe that the Caribbean is poised for even greater achievements in tourism,” added Minister Bartlett.

“Tourism in the Caribbean and Jamaica are that much better off for having an innovative thought leader like Minister Bartlett and we all wholeheartedly congratulate him,” said Donovan White, Director of Tourism.

The 41st CHTA Caribbean Travel Marketplace, being held in Barbados from May 9-11, is the largest regional annual event, which brings together buyers and sellers of the region’s tourism products and services.

Co-Founder & Chief Editor - TravelDailyNews Media Network | Website | + Posts

Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.

She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.

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