CHTA president: Tourism in region will rebound faster than many parts of the world

President of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) Pablo Torres predicts the Caribbean region will have a tourism rebound “faster than many parts of the world”, in 2021.

Torres, in a CHTA statement, explained that coordinated regional efforts to implement protocols for the tourism industry will bode well for the return of tourism this year.

“Tourism is our key to recovery, to restoring the livelihood of thousands of employees in our industry, to reopening our doors and welcoming our guests,” Torres said.

He added that tourism will also work to refresh “the minds, bodies and spirits of millions of travelers who will discover that the Caribbean is the best place on earth to recover from the ravage of this pandemic”.

According to Torres, the hospitality sector in the region has implemented stringent COVID-19 testing requirements, stringent cleaning and sanitization protocols, strict social distancing and face mask policies and rules limiting capacity at restaurants and other gathering places.

He also noted that industry stakeholders have had to weather myriad crises last year, and over many years, but have still rebounded.

“Torres described 2020 as a year when CHTA members were challenged to do more with less, including significant revenue shortfalls,” the CHTA statement noted.

Describing COVID-19 as an unprecedented challenge, he applauded the Caribbean’s rapid response to the pandemic, which helped to contain the spread of the virus more effectively than many other parts of the world.

He saluted the “countless health heroes” whose dedication and sacrifices had averted a great deal of human suffering and helped to set the stage for the economic recovery the region will be experiencing in the coming months.

Torres commended not only healthcare professionals but also front- and back-of-house workers across many industries, including tourism, airports and airline personnel, immigration and customs officers and ground transportation workers. “You have led by example, providing exemplary services while adhering to essential health safety protocols. We are all in debt to your service,” he said.

Torres noted that the hospitality industry’s partners in health include the national hotel and tourism associations, the Caribbean Public Health Agency, the Caribbean Tourism Organization, the United Nations World Tourism Organization, and the World Travel and Tourism Council.

“Through collaboration and sharing insights and expertise, we all help one another,” he said.

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