In a statement released on 12 January, the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) expresses its endorsement and support for the renewed efforts towards unity between Caribbean governments now being proposed by Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) tourism ministers. The ministers’ meeting took place here just prior to the beginning of Caribbean Marketplace 2010.
And while CHTA supports this proposed unity, we strongly assert that it must be “unity for action” in order to have any meaning whatsoever, say the ministers. The ministers stressed that in order to respond to the generalized economic downturn, and the preservation of the social and economic wellbeing of the people of the region, a marketing fund for the region needs to be put together.
While the governments of the Caribbean may have recognized the importance of tourism, the need for action now is critical for their economies.
CHTA strongly suggests that the CTO revisit the recommendation for a tax on airline passenger tickets to the Caribbean and additionally suggests that we use the precedent that has been set by the Travel Industry Association in the United States which recently instituted a $10 ticket tax to fund its US marketing and promotion efforts worldwide.
CHTA further suggests that a $10 ticket tax on all airline tickets for incoming passengers could be effectively split to enable individual governments to use $5 of each tax for its own destination marketing while allocating the other $5 to a sustainable marketing fund for the region.
The proposal was made during Caribbean Marketplace, attended by 1,311 delegates, with 391 booths and 306 attending supplier companies, a similar level to last year’s.