Madden-greig happy as Caribbean sees lower COVID-19 threat levels, record arrivals
FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida– As a growing number of Caribbean destinations continue to set record tourism arrivals, expenditures and hotel occupancies, the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) is happy.
CHTA President Nicola Maddengreig praised the region’s tourism industry, local government authorities and the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) for their vigilance and collaboration, which has contributed to the region’s recovery.
In an end of year statement, Madden-greig lauded hoteliers and tourism and health professionals for closely adhering to prevention protocols recommended by CARPHA in partnership with the association and regional governments.
“Such diligence,” she noted, “contributed to tourism’s strong recovery as well as CARPHA’S recent decision to reduce its COVID-19 threat level from ‘very high’ to ‘moderate-low’ for the Caribbean region. This is testament to our very successful management of the pandemic.”
Madden-greig, a Jamaican, asserted that such alertness in the form of adequate surveillance, effective protocols and increased vaccination coverage by hospitality, tourism and government entities, allowed most countries in the region to rebound in 2022.
The CHTA chief said the Caribbean continues to lead the world in its recovery and its members were already welcoming hundreds of thousands of international visitors to their shores for the winter tourist season.
Supporting her, Olivier Ponti, vice-president of Insights at Forwardkeys, CHTA’S data partner, said: “The Caribbean is not just about showing a great example of a region recovering but instead about a region that is growing – despite all the macroeconomic factors taking place now, such as the slowdown of the world economy, rising costs of petrol and the effects of the war in Ukraine.”