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Caribbean Tourism & Health Authorities proactive on Coronavirus

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File Photo - PAHO hosts Caribbean Health Ministers meeting in Jamaica

#MIAMI (January 31, 2020) – No cases of the coronavirus have been reported in the Caribbean, assured regional tourism and health officials, who are hard at work aiming to keep the region coronavirus-free.  A partnership established five years ago between the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and the private sector-led Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) as well as the public sector Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) is helping to drive a concerted effort by the region’s health and tourism stakeholders to help prevent and mitigate any impact from the spread of the virus, which has been declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a global public health emergency of international concern.

The three organizations quickly mobilized over a week ago, with CARPHA playing a key role in gathering facts and preparing briefs and tools for the region’s largest industry, tourism, based upon its consultations with global health authorities, including WHO and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“We see CARPHA as a key intermediary between global and local health authorities in brokering information and sharing intelligence essential to monitoring the situation with the Novel Coronavirus and preventing its spread into our region. This is important to the health of our residents and visitors and also important to the Caribbean’s economic well-being, as tourism is the region’s most important contributor to employment and revenue,” stated CARPHA’s Executive Director Dr. Joy St. John.  

“CARPHA is recommending that Caribbean Member States be proactive and vigilant. They must step up surveillance measures at points of entry, communication strategies which emphasize good hand hygiene, and measures targeted at reducing the importation of this new virus to our shores,” stated Dr. St. John, who underscored that currently, there are no restrictions to travel to the Caribbean. While the risk to the Caribbean from the coronavirus is low, health authorities and tourism stakeholders are being vigilant, activating cautionary measures, monitoring and reporting procedures.

CARPHA established the world’s first Tourism Health Program (THP) nearly five years ago to work collaboratively with CHTA and CTO to address health and safety threats. Over 200 hotels throughout the region are also part of a Tourism Health Information System (THiS), and with the coronavirus threat, CHTA is encouraging every hotel in the region to be part of the THP and THiS. CARPHA offers a range of online support materials and videos to guide the tourism industry.  

Frank Comito, CEO and CHTA Director General

Frank Comito, CEO and Director General of CHTA, advises that the organization is working with its federation of 33 national hotel and tourism associations throughout the region, advising them to be vigilant with sanitary precautions, monitoring of guest and employee illnesses, and prompt reporting to local health authorities any questionable illnesses.  

“The Caribbean is one of the world’s great escapes, affording the traveler with the opportunity to be refreshed and renewed as they enjoy our incredible natural beauty, people and cultures. We want to safeguard our guests and employees and provide assurances that they will continue to enjoy all that we offer. CARPHA is an invaluable partner in helping us to do this,” said Comito.

CHTA and CARPHA are also planning a webinar, scheduled for Tuesday, February 4, to brief the industry on the latest developments and offer additional advice on cautionary measures that can be taken to mitigate the spread of coronavirus, notwithstanding bolstering existing influenza preparedness plans and implementing measures to protect the most vulnerable in the Caribbean.

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 55 years, CHTA has been the backbone of the Caribbean hospitality industry. Working with some 1,000 hotel and allied members, and 33 National Hotel Associations, CHTA is shaping the Caribbean’s future and helping members to grow their businesses.

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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.

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Jamaica Records US$2.4B in Earnings from 2.3 Million Visitor Arrivals Since Start of 2025

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Kingston, Jamaica, July 11, 2025 – Jamaica has welcomed approximately 2.3 million visitors since the start of 2025, generating US$2.4 billion in earnings.

This was disclosed by Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, who further reported that the industry grew by two per cent in the first quarter of the year, contributing to a one per cent increase in Jamaica’s overall economic performance during the period.

“After Hurricane Beryl and all the disruptions – travel advisories, political and geopolitical issues – we are back on the growth path, and that’s going to continue,” Mr. Bartlett said, highlighting the sector’s resilience and renewed momentum despite challenges faced in 2024.

He was speaking during the opening ceremony for the 11th ‘Christmas in July’ trade show at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston on Thursday (July 10).

Meanwhile, Mr. Bartlett anticipates a significant increase in tourism earnings for the current quarter, compared to the corresponding period last year, which is attributable to the sector’s strong rebound from the disruptions caused by Hurricane Beryl.

“I’m worried about how big the growth is going to look for this quarter because…  you’re comparing a Beryl period to now, a normal period. But that’s how growth goes, because you’re measuring against another period. The good news is that you’re back to where you were in 2023,” he stated.

Meanwhile, Mr. Bartlett encouraged the 180 exhibitors showcasing a wide range of Jamaican-made products to capitalise on the sector’s growth.

He noted that Jamaica’s nearly three million stopover arrivals have created a robust market demand that local entrepreneurs are urged to tap into.

“A new demand has been created for goods and services that must be supplied by you; and if it is not supplied by you, it is going to have to be imported. If it is imported, then we are going to have what we call leakage. That is to say, the [earnings] that [have] come from tourism will leave by the same plane that brings the visitors or the same ship that brings the cruise passenger. We want the money to stay here,” he added.

The two-day ‘Christmas in July’ trade show, which ended on Friday (July 11), provided an opportunity for local producers and creatives to showcase their work and products, while networking with potential consumers from the tourism sector, corporate Jamaica, and international organisations.

The event is an initiative of the Tourism Linkages Network, a division of the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), in partnership with Government agencies and the private sector.

CONTACT: VANESSA JAMES

Photo Caption: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett (centre), greets owner of ‘Daroza’, Rosalee Davis, during the 11th staging of the ‘Christmas in July’ trade show at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston on Thursday (July 10). At right is Chief Technical Director in the Tourism Ministry, David Dobson.

Photo: Michael Sloley

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Guyana: Toll to be removed for three major bridges on August 1

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Guyana, July 11, 2025 – On August 1, less than a month from now, the Demerara Harbour Bridge (DHB), the Berbice River Bridge and the Wismar Bridge will be toll-free.

This fulfils a promise that President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali made on Sunday, March 23, while addressing a large gathering at Babu Jaan in Port Mourant, Corentyne, during the annual observance to celebrate the life of Dr Cheddi Jagan.

The removal of the tolls was meant to coincide with the commissioning of the new Demerara River Bridge. The bridge stands at a 90 percent completion rate and is scheduled to be opened by August 31.

The removal of the tolls is expected to bring financial relief to over 50,000 daily commuters, translating to an estimated $3.5 billion in annual savings for citizens, as highlighted in Budget 2025.

Currently, bridge tolls for the Demerara Harbour Bridge range from $40 for motorcycles to $700 for motor lorries, with cars and minibuses paying $200. The Berbice River Bridge toll for a motor car is $1900, and the Wismar Bridge in Linden charge a toll of $60 for cars.

“This initiative reflects our government’s dedication to making daily transportation more affordable, reducing travel time, while also facilitating greater economic activity and internal regional integration,” the Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance and the Public Service, Dr Ashni Singh, said during the presentation of the 2025 budget in the National Assembly earlier this year.

As the new Demerara River Bridge advances towards its completion date, it will serve as a key link between Regions Three and Four.

According to the Project Engineer with the Ministry of Public Works, Siddiq Khan, the new bridge will offer an improved capacity with 24-hour accessibility. The timely completion, along with the abolition of tolls, will be an important step in modernising Guyana’s transportation systems.

As August 31 nears, excitement grows about what the removal of bridge tolls will mean for Guyanese citizens. This change will quickly and significantly benefit households in Guyana, putting more disposable income in the pockets of citizens.

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Spreading gang violence poses major risk to Haiti and Caribbean sub-region, UN human rights report warns  

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GENEVA/PORT-AU-PRINCE (11 July 2025) – Escalating gang violence outside Port-au-Prince has claimed over 1,000 lives and forced hundreds of thousands to flee since October 2024, threatening to destabilise not only Haiti but also other countries in the Caribbean, a UN human rights report warned today.

The report, by the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) and the UN Human Rights Office, details the evolution of violent gang incidents since October 2024 up to June 2025. It also shows how violence increased sharply in recent months, especially in the Lower Artibonite and Centre departments, as gangs continue to extend their influence along key routes in the north and centre of the country, and towards the Dominican Republic.

“Human rights abuses outside Port-au-Prince are intensifying in areas of the country where the presence of the State is extremely limited. The international community must strengthen its support to the authorities, who bear the primary responsibility for protecting the Haitian population,” said Ulrika Richardson, ad interim Head of BINUH and UN Resident Coordinator.

Between 1 October 2024 and 30 June 2025, at least 1,018 people were killed, 213 others injured and 620 abducted in Artibonite and Centre, as well as in Ganthier and Fonds Parisien, west of the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area, the report says.

Over the same period, the total number of killings across Haiti was 4,864.*

The report notes that the mass killing in Pont Sondé (Lower Artibonite) in October 2024, which left over 100 people dead, marked a major turning point in the cycle of violence between gangs and the so-called ‘self-defence’ groups. Several other mass killings followed, causing mass displacement, including in the town of Mirebalais (Centre department) which earlier this year saw all its 100,000 residents flee.

The Haitian authorities have deployed specialised police units, supported by the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission, to some extent slowing the gangs’ advances. Ultimately, however, given their lack of resources, they have been unable to reassert control over the affected areas.

Against this backdrop, human rights abuses by self-defence groups have increased. Summary executions involving Haitian security forces have also been committed against individuals accused of supporting gangs, the report says.

“Caught in the middle of this unending horror story are the Haitian people, who are at the mercy of horrific violence by gangs and exposed to human rights violations from the security forces and abuses by the so-called ‘self-defence’ groups,” said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk.

“The human rights violations and abuses that we have documented are further evidence of why Haiti and the international community urgently need to step up to end the violence,” he added.

The expansion of gang territorial control poses a major risk of spreading violence and increasing transnational trafficking in arms and people, the report says.

Among its recommendations, it calls on the Haitian authorities to ensure police have the necessary resources to tackle the gangs, in full respect of international human rights law. It calls for specialised judicial units to combat corruption and mass crimes, including sexual violence, to be established as soon as possible.

The report also calls on the international community to maintain BINUH’s full operational capacity so that the office can continue to advise and support the Haitian government in its efforts to strengthen good governance and ensure the respect for, and promotion of, human rights. The strengthening of MSS mission and the full implementation of the arms embargo will be equally essential to restore security and the rule of law in Haiti.

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