Nicola Madden-Greig MBA (Dist.), BSc. (Hons.), OD on LinkedIn: #chta #onecaribbean #caribbeaninvestment #hotelinvestment #cto (2024)

Today, I participated as a Guest Speaker at the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CIDI) hybrid meeting in Washington, as a part of the strategic development of the OAS member states, under the Theme: Promoting Tourism Through Multi-Destination Travel. The Caribbean region stands to reap tremendous benefits if we truly unlock the potential of multi-destination travel. Here are a few of the points I made at today's session. Stay tuned as I share more insights on this exciting new focus for Caribbean and Latin American region.The Caribbean welcomed just over 32 million visitors in 2023, above our record setting pre-Covid year of 2019. This is also a growth of 17.2% over 2022 (Source: CTO). YTD 2024, the Caribbean is again poised to have a record-breaking year in terms of international stop-over arrivals. While many see the Caribbean as one hom*ogenous region, it has become clear that the diversity of the destinations in the region is gaining traction. However, there are a few obstacles to unlocking the true potential of multi-destination travel. Vacationers are seeking ways to come to the Caribbean and have a seamless experience visiting 3-4 destinations to take in the varying culture, language, music, and gastronomy. Here are the Top 5 Obstacles to Unlocking Multi-destination Travel.1.High air ticket taxes and fees2. Visa and Entry Requirements and Procedures. 3. Inadequate Marketing Support to Promote Multi-Destination and Intra-Caribbean travel.4. Lack of Awareness Regarding the Multiplier Economic Impact and ROI from stimulating multi-destination stop-over arrivals5. Limited Collaboration between destinations within the region What are your thoughts on unlocking this potential?#oas #chta #onecaribbean #multidestinationtravel #intracaribbeantravel

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As we celebrate the exploits of our athletes at the Olympics, let us not forgot our brothers and sisters who were severely impacted by Hurricane Beryl. Kindly participate in our CHTA Hurricane Relief Auction! Please feel free to share this post. Together we can make a difference.

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Our resilient tourism industry continues to make strides amidst challenges. Tourism continues to drive our economies and the ability to recover and recover quickly from external shocks from Hurricanes and other natural or man-made disasters is key to our success. #onecaribbean #caribbeanstrong #resilience #chta #forwardkeys

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I write to ask for your support for our Caribbean brothers and sisters who were severely impacted by the passing of Hurricane Beryl in the islands of Carriacou, Petite Martinique in Grenada and Mayreau, Canouan and Union Islands in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. I would like to praise the strength of local public-private sector partners for their resilience in the face of these challenging circ*mstances.As I also faced the impact of Beryl in my home country of Kingston, Jamaica, I rode out the storm at my hotel, The Courtleigh Hotel & Suites with the best guests and dedicated team members who worked tirelessly to ensure we could deliver the highest service levels. The same was done at our sister property, The Jamaica Pegasus Hotel which was also the base for Jamaica’s Tourism Emergency Operations Centre. I want to personally congratulate all the tourism stakeholders both public and private sector, across Jamaica for their strong level of dedication and preparedness in weathering the dangerous Category 4 Hurricane Beryl, which impacted the island yesterday.Thankfully my home of Jamaica was spared the worst of the hurricane and we have now returned to regular business operations. The Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay and Ian Fleming International Airport in Ocho Rios opened today, while Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston will open on Friday, July 5, after minor repairs are completed.We have no reports of any guests being injured during the passage of the storm, and the majority of the hotels and the tourism industry in general have emerged unscathed. However, I am concerned for the south coast of my island, where many local communities were impacted, along with several independent hotels and villa operations. The CHTA will be including these operators in our disaster relief efforts, particularly in the Treasure Beach, St. Elizabeth area, which I have little doubt that this resilient community, will rebound in the shortest possible time.I am encouraged with the reports emanating from the Cayman Islands, which confirmed no major impact on the sector there and grateful that Barbados, Dominica, Grenada and St. Lucia were able to return so quickly to normalcy. We are thankful to God for sparing us for the most part, and we are resolved to getting our industry back on track, while serving the most impacted communities (especially those in the Grenadines) who are in dire need at this time.Overall, the Caribbean continues to show how resilient it is in the face of extreme crisis, and we encourage visitors worldwide to continue to ravel to the Caribbean. We are the #1 warm weather destination with over 30 magnificent island nations with the most beautiful diversity to discover. Individuals, businesses and organizations that want to contribute to regional hurricane relief efforts may make a monetary donation atwww.chtaef.com.#chta #chtaef #grenanda #stvincentandthegrenadines #jamaica #caribbeanstrong #onecaribbean

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Last month was a great time for reflection on the business of Caribbean tourism as we had our Board of Directors meeting to look at the future of our Association and chart the pathway to continue to foster great relationships, share knowledge and expertise and ensure Caribbean tourism continues to thrive! It all is easier when you have some of the best minds in tourism as your team!

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Excellent partnership once again with Forward Keys and Olivier Ponti as we launched the Caribbean Travel Trends Report at the 3rd CHTA #Travel Forum in Jamaica! A deep dive into data drive decision making for Caribbean tourism. The Travel Forum was launched in 2020 as a new addition to Caribbean Travel Marketplace to provide a forum for regional and international thought leaders to discuss the business of #Caribbean tourism.

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The next generation of talent is being developed. So excited and pleased with the progress of the previous cohort and look forward to working with the new set of young leaders. Bravo!

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