Agrandir

De izq a dcha: Simón Suárez, Presidente de CHA; Ralph Taylor, anterior Presidente; Owen Arthur, Primer Ministro de Barbados; Milton Segarra, Ministro de Turismo de Puerto Rico y Jim Weikamp, directivo de CHA

Up in the air and in every speech delivered by all premiere attendants from countries and institutions present at the Caribbean Hospitality Industry Conference, two major concerns were the wariness toward a tourist industry still going through some bad times and toward a region unable to join hands to work its way out of the current crisis. In his opening-ceremony remarks, outgoing chairman Ralph Taylor spoke of his term and underscored different points such as: The shifting situation markets have gone through in recent months have made leaders of Caribbean countries realize about tourism's absolute priority. This vision has come true with a collaboration effort between member states of CARICOM and CHA in order to set a regional marketing program in motion. A TV ad campaign entitled "Life Needs The Caribbean" will kick off in July –first in the U.S. and later on in other markets- aimed at both consumers and professionals. For the first time ever, all hotels will be online through expedia.com. There're signs of recovery in the American market and others, something that raises upbeat expectations for a more visible rebound in 2003. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, a 7% snapback is expected in the Caribbean with the generation of 140,000 new jobs in the region for next year. CHA has come up with a new idea that might sock away some $40 to $50 million for the region each year by collecting a $2 tax levied on each traveler arriving in the Caribbean, including cruise passengers. The reason lies in hindrances to gain back the invested money due to costly capital and the region's banking system. Mr. Taylor called for an urgent solution to this particular item and urged Dr. Terrence Farrel, an expert in fiscal policy from Trinidad & Tobago, to lead an initiative to put together a financial system that could move the significant amount of cash saved in non-banking funds in the region in order to spur tourist development. With proper governmental participation, those funds could be used to bankroll hotel projects that might as well generate a good deal of new jobs and economic activity, benefits that will immediately go into all Caribbean nations.

AWARD TO THE HOTELIER OF THE YEAR Ewald Biemans, director-general of Bucuti Beach Resort, in Aruba, awarded by the CHA with the Golden Shell for being the best hotelier of the year. Mr. Biemans has consistently supported the development of Aruba all through his career. The prestigious award was created 24 years ago by Jim Pepperdine –who attended the ceremony- and by Aruba's minister of tourism, Mr. Edison Briesen.

SIMÓN SUÁREZ FIRST SPANISH-SPEAKING PRESIDENT Simon Suarez, vice president of Coral Hotels and vice president of the Dominican Republic's National Hotel and Restaurant Association has been appointed CHA president, the first Spanish-speaking boss in the organization's 40-year history. In his speech during the swearing-in ceremony, attended by Dominican secretary of tourism Rafael Subervi and many of his friends and peers, Mr. Suarez underscored the highlights of his future presidency: The cult to diversity, the search of unity and the appraisal of industriousness. The speech was delivered in Spanish, French and English, to show his willingness to build bridges spanning all Caribbean nations.