FORT LAUDERDALE (CMC) — The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) says it has entered into an agreement with the University of the West Indies (UWI), the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), and Green Key Trinidad and Tobago, to assess the extent to which the region’s tourism industry is participating in globally recognised, sustainability-oriented certification programmes.

“We wish to thank our partners … .for advancing with us this important undertaking,” said CHTA president Nicola Madden-Greig.

“We look forward to drawing upon the research project’s results to raise awareness, stimulate more direct actions by the industry, and advance policies and programs which raise the bar and move the region toward playing a more active and results-oriented role in protecting and enhancing our most treasured resources – our people and our environment,” she added.

CHTA said increasingly, programmes like Green Key, a leading standard of excellence in the field of environmental responsibility and sustainable operation within the tourism industry, have become valuable vehicles for assisting companies in improving efficiencies, reducing their carbon footprint, and broadening their market appeal.

The new partnership will look at their use by Caribbean tourism-related companies and identify potential strategies to increase industry participation.

The CHTA said that the memorandum of understanding (MoU) supports the organisation’s research, advocacy, training, and public awareness collaboration.

“We are pleased to participate in this new partnership, a conglomeration of local, regional, and international organisations which have converged to push the boundaries of Caribbean tourism. By engaging industry, we are able to produce data to help us offer solutions to pressing issues associated with Caribbean tourism,” said Dr Acolla Lewis-Cameron, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the UWI St Augustine campus.

FEE’s chief executive officer, Daniel Schaeffer said there is a clear expectation that hotels working within the system will have an advantage within the marketplace but indicated that “there is, however, still a need for more facts and figures about the positive effect of engaging in sustainability.”

“The research that is part of our MOU will validate this and offer additional insights for improvements,” he continued. “We look forward to working on the research undertaking and being part of the subsequent advocacy and public awareness about the outcome of this research in the region and worldwide.”

The chief executive officer of Green Key Trinidad and Tobago, Joanna Moses-Wothke, said this research project will provide critical insight into the impact of sustainability efforts.

“It will significantly help financially restricted small business owners to make informed decisions about marketing strategies, sustainable tourism, product development, and even customer service in a sustainable realm. The results will assist policymakers as facilitators of successful green, blue, and purple tourism development.”

CHTA said the project’s research phase is under development, with outreach to the industry expected to occur later this year.