"Tourism is the key driver of generational wealth for Caribbean citizens," reported Nicola Madden-Greig, president of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), who provided updates on the state of tourism in the Caribbean region.
She explained that the number of visitors in the first quarter of the year in several countries reflects that Caribbean tourism recovery is ongoing. Several destinations reported increased numbers of visitors, such as the U.S. Virgin Islands (+ 17%), the Turks and Caicos Islands (+12%), Martinique (+11%), and the Dominican Republic (+4%).
The executive said those nations exceeded the figures of 2019 before the Covid pandemic.
In addition to these data, Madden-Greig highlighted the example of Aruba, which she described as a success story, thanks to the recovery of air connections at the end of 2021. The number of visitors in 2022 reached 98% of the 2019 data.
However, she recalled Caribbean tourism’s multiple difficulties, mainly the deterioration of air connectivity among Caribbean countries, the increase in travel costs, and the environmental aspects.
Experts note that the Caribbean has a very diversified offer.