President of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), Nicola Madden-Greig, is predicting a strong winter rebound for regional tourism based on strong health protocols in place and the increase in air service to several destinations across the Caribbean.
“The worst of it has been contained,” said Madden-Greig basing her optimism on containing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic to sound health safety protocols under the guidance of local ministries and departments of health, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and other regional and international organisations.
Her optimism is backed by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), which recently reported that the Caribbean is recovering faster than any other region in the world with tourism’s contribution to GDP expected to rise more than 47 per cent this year.
In contrast, the global economy is set to receive a 30.7 per cent year-on-year increase from Travel & Tourism in 2021, representing US$1.4 trillion and mainly driven by domestic spending. The Caribbean region’s forecast increase represents an increase of nearly US$12 billion, driven by both international and domestic travel spend.
