During the 2009 Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) Small Hotels Retreat, CHTA president Enrique De Marchena Kaluche is optimistic that 2010 will be a good year for small hotels in the Caribbean. “The good news is that the pent-up demand for warm weather vacations is at its highest point in well over a decade,” said De Marchena Kaluche.
He said that several of the world’s largest economies, such as Germany and France, have already pulled themselves out of recession, and consumer confidence in the US is beginning to return to normal levels.
But he said the challenges are greater than ever. “Entering into 2010, the Caribbean is competing on a global level with destinations that are just as hungry for tourism. In some cases, these emerging destinations have newer infrastructure and less reliance on expensive imports,” said De Marchena Kaluche.
“Now more than ever before we must work together to improve our tourism product. We must redouble our efforts to come together as a united region in order to clearly demonstrate why there is no substitute for a Caribbean vacation.
He called for collaborative spirit. “As small hoteliers, it is essential that we identify what it is that makes us unique and implement strategies to differentiate each individual property, but this needs to be done within the overall context of a unified Caribbean,” noted De Marchena Kaluche.