FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (May 7, 2024) – The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) aims to reimagine the region’s tourism landscape at the third annual Caribbean Travel Forum, taking place Monday, May 20 in Montego Bay, Jamaica.

Kicking off this year’s Caribbean Travel Marketplace, the annual event brings together leading regional and international thought leaders to discuss tourism business opportunities and strategies for success in the Caribbean, the heart of the global travel industry.

Attendees will have the opportunity to gain invaluable knowledge from distinguished speakers, including esteemed travel writer, author and advisor on destination development Doug Lansky who will deliver the keynote address, sharing insights and perspectives on navigating the evolving landscape of Caribbean tourism. Lansky, the author of 10 books, has also written for the world’s most prestigious travel publications.

CHTA President Nicola Madden-Greig, in her “State of the Industry” address, will share key data and insights including data from CHTA’s recently unveiled annual Performance and Outlook Survey. The survey spotlights the resilience and growth of the Caribbean tourism industry with overwhelmingly positive results. It also underscores ongoing challenges that require attention to grow the region’s crucial economic driver.

Her presentation will also go into detail on the forecast for new development in the region with the official launch of the CHTA Construction and Pipeline Report. Additional data will also be shared on international and regional trends shaping the tourism landscape.

Insights on the business of tourism will be shared by several leading public and private sector stakeholders, including:

Kenneth Bryan, Cayman Islands Minister for Tourism & Ports and Chairman, Caribbean Tourism Organization

Edmund Bartlett, Minister of Tourism, Jamaica

Nataliya Mylenko, Lead Economist, Caribbean Region, World Bank Group

Sheila Johnson, CEO, Salamander Hotels and Resorts

Adam Stewart, Executive Chairman, Sandals Resorts International

Frank Wolfe, CEO, Hospitality Financial & Technology Professionals (HFTP)

Olivier Ponti, Director of Intelligence & Marketing, ForwardKeys

The forum’s agenda covers a breadth of topics crucial to the success of the region’s tourism industry, including leveraging data insights, enhancing multi-destination marketing, boosting intra-Caribbean travel, harnessing technology for innovation, improving operational efficiency, expanding tourism linkages, navigating labor market constraints, and adopting new market penetration strategies.

Additionally, the event will feature the CHTA Awards Luncheon, which celebrates the achievements of Caribbean Hotelier of the Year, the Destination Resilience Award winner, and the President’s Award recipient for Caribbean Tourism Excellence.

To learn more and to be part of shaping the future of Caribbean hospitality and tourism, visit CHTAMarketplace.com/TravelForum.

About the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA)

The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) is the Caribbean’s leading association representing the interests of national hotel and tourism associations. For more than 60 years, CHTA has been the backbone of the Caribbean hospitality industry. Working with some 1,000 hotel and allied members, and 32 National Hotel Associations, CHTA is shaping the Caribbean’s future and helping members to grow their businesses. Whether helping to navigate critical issues in sales and marketing, sustainability, legislative issues, emerging technologies, climate change, data and intelligence or, looking for avenues and ideas to better market and manage businesses, CHTA is helping members on issues which matter most.

For further information, visit www.caribbeanhotelandtourism.com.

KINGSTON, May 9 (JIS):

The Government continues to reinvest earnings from the bauxite industry into communities impacted by mining, says Director of Bauxite Lands at the Jamaica Bauxite Institute (JBI), Kemoy Lindsay.

He said that through the Bauxite Community Development Programme (BCDP), established in 1996, funding and technical support are being provided for the development of sustainable initiatives in mining areas.

“Infrastructure, healthcare, road repairs, skills training and all facets of social development are taken care of. Since 1996, the JBI, through the BCDP has implemented over 350 projects totalling close to one billion dollars, representing bauxite money being directly rechannelled into the communities. And, over the 28 years, we have impacted more than half a million residents in bauxite communities,” Mr. Lindsay informed.

He was addressing a National Minerals Week Mining/Minerals Sector Conference at Northern Caribbean University (NCU) in Mandeville on May 6.

Agriculture, which is the mainstay in most of the communities, has received the largest portion of the support.

Since the BCDP’s inception, the funding injected into farming has increased by seven to 10 per cent.

In Manchester, the projects undertaken include the construction of two classrooms at Kendal All-Age, expansion of the New Green Basic School, building of a computer lab and art block at Winston Jones High School, electricity expansion in 10 communities, while 1,500 poultry farmers and 5,000 small farmers have received assistance.

“We funded the renovation and reopening of the Broadleaf Health Centre, construction of 60 greenhouses and in partnership with the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF), the JBI will be one of the largest facilitators of greenhouse technology, not just in Jamaica but in the English-speaking Caribbean,” Mr. Lindsay said.

He further cited support for skills training programmes, construction of post offices at Kendal and Harmons and the provision of millions of dollars in scholarships for students.

Mr. Lindsay said there is close collaboration with residents to ensure that projects being undertaken will provide them with tangible long-term social and economic benefits.

He noted that there is also direct and constant trilateral dialogue involving the mining companies, the communities and the relevant government agencies.

“Gone are the days when… community members felt that their concerns were not being heard. We have successfully created bauxite community councils to bridge that gap and provide a forum for the dissemination and discussion of issues,” he said.

“This ensures that business continues in a way that is sensitive to the needs of the community,” he added, noting that there are 14 active councils across the five bauxite mining parishes of Manchester, Clarendon, St. Elizabeth, St. Ann, and St. Catherine.

The aim is to ensure that every community impacted by bauxite mining has a forum to have their concerns heard and needs discussed in a structured way.

CONTACT: BARBARA ELLINGTON

KINGSTON, May 8 (JIS):

Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Dr. the Hon. Nigel Clarke, has informed that the current inflation target for the Bank of Jamaica will remain at four to six per cent.

Dr. Clarke made the announcement during a statement to the House of Representatives on Tuesday (May 7).

He explained that the process for setting and renewing the target was codified into law via the Bank of Jamaica Amendment Act 2020, which, among other things, formally introduced Jamaica’s inflation targeting regime.

Dr. Clarke stated that in April 2021, after consultation with the Bank of Jamaica, documents were tabled advising of the renewal of the inflation target of four to six per cent, which was effective for three years.

“Following consultation with the Governor of the Bank of Jamaica, who is also Chairman of the Monetary Policy Committee, I confirm and have so tabled documents advising that the inflation target for Jamaica, calculated as the 12-month point-to-point percentage change in the consumer price index as measured by STATIN, will remain at four per cent to six per cent for the next three years,” Dr. Clarke said.

“The midpoint of this range of five per cent will be the operational target for the Monetary Policy Committee. This target remains consistent with Jamaica’s economic structure and stage of development,” he added.

The Minister noted that a lower inflation target than what currently obtains would require higher interest rates for longer, which could be detrimental to growth and to fiscal dynamics.

Furthermore, Dr. Clarke said Jamaica’s recent experience has highlighted that there are constraints to targeting a lower inflation rate at this time.

“In particular, the frequency of economic shocks, labour market rigidities, low productivity, a weak monetary transmission system and regulated price adjustments, constrain the ability of the Bank of Jamaica to deliver a lower inflation rate than what is currently targeted in the near term,” the Minister said.

Dr. Clarke stated that these constraints speak to inherent challenges that as a country “we must tackle if we are to target and enjoy the levels of inflation of our main trading partners”.

“Going forward, I will support all efforts to ameliorate these constraints. On the other hand, setting the target higher than four per cent to the six per cent range would be problematic for most Jamaicans who do not have the independent means to protect themselves against higher targeted inflation,” he noted.

Dr. Clarke explained that it is for these reasons that the inflation target for Jamaica, calculated as the 12-month point-to-point percentage change in the consumer price index as measured by the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN), will remain at four to six per cent for the next three years.

CONTACT: LATONYA LINTON