Barbados’ Prime Minister Mia Mottley will kick off the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association’s (CHTA) 41st Caribbean Travel Marketplace when she presents the keynote address to the association’s second annual Caribbean Travel Forum on Tuesday, May 9, 2023, at Sandals Royal Barbados under the theme “Tourism: The key driver of generational wealth for Caribbean nationals”.
The Caribbean Travel Forum focuses on the business of tourism in the Caribbean with discussions of timely topics such as multi-destination marketing, intra-Caribbean travel with emphasis on air connectivity, sustainability, technology innovation, labor market concerns, taxation and tourism linkages.
Prime Minister Mottley will encourage captains of the travel industry, general managers, thought leaders and government officials to leverage Caribbean Travel Marketplace, which is being hosted by Barbados for the first time, to present the strengths, resilience and attractiveness of the Caribbean region to global buyers, media and potential investors.
The prime minister is known for her bold calls for the international community to recognize how small-island, tourism-dependent countries of the Caribbean have been impacted by external shocks such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the broader issue of climate change.
Her keynote will be preceded by the State of the Industry and Region Address from Nicola Madden-Greig, president of CHTA, the trade association which speaks for the interests of the private sector. Other presenters and panelists include Olivier Ponti, Vice President of Insights for ForwardKeys; Jamaica Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett; Cayman Islands Minister of Tourism and Ports Kenneth Bryan, who is also Chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organization; Charlie Osmound, Co-Founder, Triptease; Neil Foster, President, Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP); John Byles, Managing Partner at Chukka Caribbean Adventures; and Marie McKenzie, Senior Vice President, Government & Destination Affairs, Carnival Corporation.
During the Forum, distinguished Caribbean tourism industry professionals will be recognized at the CHTA Awards Luncheon where Destination Resilience Awards and the CHTA Icon Award will be presented.
Prior to the awards lunch, a private-public partnership panel will share what steps are needed to ensure that the Caribbean remains the number one warm weather destination while addressing some of the major potential headwinds.
The Forum will also include panels focused on Responsible Tourism and Technology, featuring discussions around artificial intelligence and its impact on the tourism sector.
“Together we can chart a new path leading out of recovery towards creating a sustainable industry capable of handling future shocks while continuing to drive the region’s growth and development,” said Madden-Greig.
The CHTA president encouraged stakeholders to take the opportunity to participate in the most important discussion and networking opportunity for the future of the tourism industry and the region, while remaining laser-focused on solutions to provide generational wealth for Caribbean nationals.
For more information, visit chtamarketplace.com.
About the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA)
The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) is the Caribbean’s leading association representing the interests of national hotel and tourism associations. For more than 60 years, CHTA has been the backbone of the Caribbean hospitality industry. Working with some 1,000 hotel and allied members, and 33 National Hotel Associations, CHTA is shaping the Caribbean’s future and helping members to grow their businesses. Whether helping to navigate critical issues in sales and marketing, sustainability, legislative issues, emerging technologies, climate change, data and intelligence or, looking for avenues and ideas to better market and manage businesses, CHTA is helping members on issues which matter most.
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