The third annual Travel Forum, held in Jamaica at the Caribbean’s premier trade show, revealed Friday that the region reached a historic milestone in the number of international arrivals surpassing pre-pandemic levels, with a 13% increase in the first half of 2024.
In terms of performance, the reports stated that Puerto Rico leads the way, followed by the Dominican Republic and Cancun in Mexico.
“Mid-tier destinations such as Belize and Curaçao are also showing remarkable growth, driven by improved connectivity and increased demand from key markets” indicated Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) president Nicola Madden-Greig.
However, she noted that data from Forward Keys and Caribbean Trends Reports, which provide a comprehensive analysis of the region’s performance and identify critical trends shaping the future of the sector, warn that with the global reopening of destinations, especially in Asia, the Caribbean faces competition.
Also during the Forum, CHTA honored destinations committed to resilience and sustainability with the Destination Resilience Awards.
Bahamas receives award
The Bahamas received the Category A Award for destinations with total stopover visitor arrivals over 500,000 for its resilience and commitment to sustainable tourism in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian.
St. Lucia received the Category B Award for destinations with total stopover visitor arrivals of less than 500,000.
According to the report, initiatives focused on sustainable legislation, marine conservation and women’s empowerment have enhanced St. Lucia’s socio-economic development.
In addition, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) received the President’s Award for Caribbean Tourism Excellence for its contribution to the region’s health security.
“The CHTA applauded the efforts of The Bahamas, St. Lucia and CARPHA in fostering a thriving, resilient and sustainable tourism industry,” said CHTA Chairwoman Kamila. said the CHTA chairwoman.
For its part, Jamaica recorded a record $4.38 billion in fiscal year 2023-2024 from the tourism industry, the highest figure in its history, Jamaican Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett announced on May 1.
Source:Bavarodigital.net
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