Caribbean tourism remains competitive despite growing competition from new industry players in the Pacific, Asia, the Middle East and Africa, says Richard Sealy, out-going chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO).
Speaking at the recent CTO State of the Industry Conference (SOTIC) in Barbados, he said: "In the face of all of this, the region recorded 28.7 million visitor arrivals in 2015, an increase of seven per cent. With this performance, the Caribbean has outpaced international tourism arrivals which grew by 4.4 per cent in 2015.
"We must commend ourselves on achieving healthy growth in this challenging, competitive industry. This year we are on target to reach 30 million arrivals which is a very healthy state of affairs. As you are all aware, increased arrivals must be coupled by the concomitant provision of increased room stock. For our part in Barbados, we have plans on stream to increase our room stock by some 2306 by 2019, with a planned investment of US$1 billion."
Sealy said the Zika epidemic in the Caribbean could have been worse if CTO officials had not taken practical steps to partner with the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and the University of the West Indies (UWI). This strategic move contributed to prevention and mitigation, through public service announcements on preventative steps and control measures for residents and visitors.
There is a new buzz, Sealy said, about the Caribbean as an ideal holiday and business destination. He called on destination experts in the region to create unique experiences to ensure the sustainability for the industry.
"A simple audit of where we are now and where we plan to go is in order. Early successes in tourism contributed to a stable economy. Suddenly, Caribbean destinations were sought after for holidays and honeymoons."