Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association calls upon governments, private sector to create tourism agenda as US House passes Caribbean Strategic Engagement Act

The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) is thus urging a public-private partnership between Caribbean nations and the U.S. that will strengthen an existing tourism relationship. CEO and Director General of the CHTA and CREF 2016 speaker, Frank Comito, explained, “the tourism ties between the United States and the Caribbean extend well beyond the 14.3 million Americans who travelled as overnight visitors in 2015, spending over $15 billion in the Caribbean.”

New legislation from the U.S. House of Representatives was passed two days prior to a conference that called on stakeholders to explore opportunities and challenges for the United States and the Caribbean Region through tourism. The legislation puts particular emphasis on energy security, countering violence, expanded diplomacy, and other priority areas. In the face of complex issues that affect the Caribbean, tourism is recognized as holding the greatest potential as the region’s economic driver. The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) estimates that more than 1.9 million jobs in the Caribbean were attributed to tourism in 2014. Looking ahead, Comito stressed that “The opportunities to build upon existing engagement and collaboration between the public and private sectors are significant. Our intention today is to point to the possibilities.” Read more here.

The CHTA will co-host a session on opportunities for renewable energy projects in the Caribbean tourism sector at the 2016 Caribbean Renewable Energy Forum. Read more here.