Tourism Ministers Speak on Partnerships at the Caribbean Travel Forum

As part of the second edition of the Caribbean Travel Forum, held on this occasion at the Sandals Royal Barbados Hotel and serving as a prelude to the 41st Caribbean Travel Marketplace, a panel was held to reflect on the collaboration between public and private institutions in the tourism sector. 

Among them was Nicola Madden-Greig, president of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), who moderated the panel and said that "we feel it's important to continue to focus on public-private collaboration and, above all, to talk about implementation. We want to delve deeper into how we can implement these projects. 

Also participating in the debate were Jamaica's Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett, Cayman Islands Minister of Tourism and Transport and Chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), Kenneth Bryan, Barbados Minister of Tourism, Ian Gooding-Edghill, President of the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA), Renée Coppin, and CEO of Chukka Caribbean - a Caribbean adventure activities operator - Marc Melville.

The former associated the huge tourism recovery that the Caribbean has experienced after the pandemic to the great collaboration between countries in the region. "We have never seen collaboration of this degree in the Caribbean. We have proven that we can be together when we are apart". In the same vein was Kenneth Bryan, who noted that "the collaboration allowed us to be prepared for new challenges. It has been stronger than ever.

For his part, Ian Gooding-Edghill emphasized the sacrifice of the population, as well as the exercise of "understanding that we were not going to achieve the 2019 data instantly, but that it was a progressive recovery". In that sense, Renée Coppin highlighted "the desire and passion of the sector's protagonists". 

They were also questioned by the CHTA president about the benefits of the tourism industry and how to integrate the local population within the tourism industry. 

"Tourism has been redefined as a much more inclusive tourism. Many people think that tourism is only related to hotels, when the reality is that tourism encompasses all the activities that can be offered. And the local population can be part of all of that," said the Jamaican prime minister. 

Something similar was expressed by his counterpart from the Cayman Islands, who pointed out that "The client is looking for authenticity in the destination, which has a lot to do with the local population and provides a wide range of opportunities. In that sense, the Barbados Minister of Tourism stressed that "we have to analyze not exactly how we train people, but how we institutionalize training." 

"We have a long job to do, mainly in relation to how we ensure that people are aware that tourism is a great opportunity; no industry creates as many opportunities as ours," said the president of the BHTA, while the CEO of Chukka Caribbean stated that "tourism has allowed the people of the Caribbean to achieve a higher standard of living. We have to work with them and motivate them. 

Climate change and the implementation of new technologies in the Caribbean

Similarly, there was an opportunity to address an aspect of vital importance for the Caribbean, namely the impact of climate change. no tourism. "The environment is our product. Without it there is no tourism. The commitment is, therefore, to lead the initiative to take care of the planet," said Jamaica's Minister of Tourism. According to the Barbados Minister of Tourism, "if the climate crisis continues to grow, it will affect every region in the Caribbean.

For the Minister of Tourism and Transport of the Cayman Islands and President of the CTO, "we have to focus on sustainable initiatives to protect our territory." 

The panel closed with the protagonists answering a brief question about the future from Madden-Greig: How will the Caribbean implement emerging technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence?

 "The goal is to educate to integrate this technology, because it is the future of tourism. The metaverse, Artificial Intelligence... they are all going to be experiential elements," said Jamaica's Minister of Tourism. 

The Minister of Tourism of Barbados agreed, noting that "technology is here to stay, and we must study the best way to extract data and conclusions. Through artificial intelligence, there is room for that." "It's a great opportunity, especially in terms of efficiency," added the BHTA president. 

However, Kenneth Bryan warned that "technology is like fire. Every day there are thousands of them in homes, it can be controlled and cook with it or burn your house down," referring to the threat these new trends pose to the worker.