The third annual Travel Forum, held in Jamaica at the Caribbean’s first trade fair, revealed this Friday that the region reached a historic milestone in the number of international arrivals surpassing pre-pandemic levels, with an increase of 13 % in the first half of 2024.
In terms of performance, reports claimed that Puerto Rico leads the way, followed by the Dominican Republic and Cancun, Mexico.
“Mid-tier destinations such as Belize and Curacao are also showing notable growth, driven by improved connectivity and increased demand from key markets,” said the president of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA). Nicola Madden-Greig.
However, he noted that data from Forward Keys and Caribbean Trends Reports, which provide a comprehensive analysis of the region’s results 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.
Additionally, during the Forum, CHTA honored destinations committed to resilience and sustainability with the Destination Resilience Awards.
The Bahamas received the Category A Award for destinations with total stopover visitor arrivals greater than 500,000, for its resilience and commitment to sustainable tourism following Hurricane Dorian.
Saint Lucia received the Category B Award for destinations with total arrivals of less than 500,000 stopover visitors.
According to the report, initiatives focused on sustainable legislation, marine conservation and women’s empowerment have improved the socio-economic development of Saint Lucia.
Additionally, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) received the President’s Award for Tourism Excellence in the Caribbean for its contribution to health security in the region.
“The CHTA applauds the efforts of The Bahamas, Saint Lucia and CARPHA to foster a prosperous, resilient and sustainable tourism industry,” said the CHTA president.
For its part, Jamaica registered a record of 4.38 billion dollars in the 2023-2024 fiscal year from the tourism industry, the largest figure in its history, announced on May 1 by the Jamaican Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett.
Source: Diario Libre
