Bahamas minister new CTO chairman
NEW YORK, United States (CMC) — Bahamas Tourism and Aviation Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar has been named as the new chairman of the Barbados-based Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) promising to led “the charge for the region as we work together to further improve our tourism industry and address the many vexing challenges we face.
“We must work together to enhance our tourism product across the board and increase the number of stopover visitors to our region,” D’Aguilar said of his appointment to chair the CTO which comprises a membership of over 30 countries and territories in Dutch, English, French and Spanish Caribbean, as well as a myriad of private sector allied members.
Speaking at the just concluded Caribbean Week, the new CTO chairman said he was able to chair “my first CTO Council of Ministers and Commissioners meeting in what was truly an enriching experience.
“The passion for CTO and the Caribbean that was so evident at the meeting was extremely encouraging and bodes well for the organization and regional tourism.”
He said the meeting endorsed a joint CTO/CHTA (Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association) collaboration to put together for the consideration of Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders, a framework for the development of a Caribbean public-private sector tourism marketing and development initiative.
He said the meeting also strongly supported the development of a five-year strategic plan for the organization, a process that has already begun.
“We agreed to continue a process to determine whether or not to expand the CTO membership to countries outside the traditional Caribbean region, but washed by the Caribbean Sea, and which seek membership in the organization.
“The ministers also strongly endorsed Jamaica’s hosting of the UNWTO, Government of Jamaica and World Bank Group Conference on Jobs & Inclusive Growth: Partnerships for Sustainable Tourism, at the Montego Bay Convention Centre, November 27-29”.
D’Aguilar said that during the first quarter of 2017, destinations around the region received 8.7 million international tourist arrivals, 150,000 more than in the same period of 2016, representing a 1.8 per cent increase.
But he said data compiled by STR Global Ltd (STR) for the first quarter indicated that the hotel industry continued to struggle. While the number of available rooms increased by 1.1 per cent, room revenue, average daily rates and revenue per available rooms all fell, he said.
In the first three months, cruise passenger arrivals increased by an estimated 4.5 per cent compared to the same period of last year. This performance translated to approximately 10 million cruise passengers arriving in Caribbean destinations.