SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- The President of the Caribbean Hotel Association, Barbadian Hotelier Ralph Taylor, is lauding regional governments for going beyond lip service in supporting Caribbean tourism, and he is calling on all the players in Caribbean tourism to work together to stimulate increased investment to take the industry forward.

Taylor's comments came at the recent 6th Annual Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Investment Conference, held in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

He said, "It is indeed gratifying to see how governments across the globe, particularly our own down here in the Caribbean, have responded to the tourism slowdown in a number of ways that are beginning to bear fruit. They are to be commended for moving beyond lip service and creating an atmosphere of acceptance about the importance of tourism that did not exist before."

The CHA boss hopes that government and the private sector will find ways to encourage investment, particularly in additional hotel infrastructure, theme parks, water attractions, and a host of ancillary products. Taylor says this will bring additional visitors to the Caribbean - and more importantly, meet and exceed their expectations.

Director General and CEO of CHA John Bell says the regional body has been reorganized to cope with the challenges facing the industry today and that CHA is well poised to handle anticipated growth.

He points to the overhauling of the Caribbean Culinary Federation, among other things, which he says is now more aggressively promoting indigenous Caribbean cuisine and, by extension, creating greater opportunities for regional produce. The Caribbean Hospitality Training Institute, another CHA subsidiary, is also providing training opportunities for regional industry professionals in cutting-edge techniques ranging from culinary skills to information technology and reservations.

Bell believes that the future of Caribbean tourism hinges on the ability of the industry to forge greater linkages with the people of the Caribbean, echoing CHA President Ralph Taylor's call for linkages in agriculture, manufacturing, entertainment, and arts and crafts.

Taylor has said that the creation of such linkages as a tourism developmental tool is one of the areas of least cost, with the potential for providing immediate returns, particularly in job creation.

About the Caribbean Hotel Association

Founded in 1962, CHA is dedicated to excellence in hospitality, leadership in marketing, and sustainable growth in tourism, to the benefit of its membership and that of the wider Caribbean community. The members of CHA represent the entire spectrum of hospitality industry's private sector, from over 1,100 member hotels in 34 national hotel associations, to allied members including airline executives, tour operators, travel agents, trade and consumer press, hotel and restaurant suppliers, and others. CHA is headquartered is in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and maintains an office in Miami, Florida.

Lorraine Ortiz
787-725-9139
CHTA