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CARIBBEAN TOURISM ORGANIZATION
64TH REPORT OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
FRENCHMAN’S REEF & MORNING STAR
MARRIOTT BEACH RESORT
ST. THOMAS UNITED STATES VIRGIN ISLANDS
SEPTEMBER 17, 2014
Ground Floor, Baobab Tower, Warrens, St. Michael, BB22026, Barbados. Tel:(246) 427-5242/Fax:(246) 429-3065
E-mail: [email protected]; Websites: www.onecaribbean.org/ www.caribbeantravel.com
August 27, 2014
The Hon. Beverly Nicholson Doty
Chairman of the Council of Tourism Ministers and Commissioners,
Caribbean Tourism Organization
Commissioner of Tourism
U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism
#78 Contant 1-2-3
Elainco Building
P.O. Box 6400
St. Thomas
U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS
Dear Chairman:
It gives me great pleasure to send for the information of yourself, the Council of Tourism
Ministers and Commissioners and the Board of Directors of the Caribbean Tourism
Organization, the attached document covering the Organization’s work for the period May
through August 2014.
Yours sincerely,
Hugh Riley
Secretary General
Caribbean Tourism Organization
cc. Ms. Chantal Figueroa, Chairman, Board of Directors
TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Board of Directors’ Agenda………………………………………………………………………………………….......i Minutes of the Joint Meeting of the CTO Council of Ministers and Board of Directors……......1 Report of the Secretary General ……………………………………………………………………………………15 Report of the Research & Information Technology Department…………………………………………20 Report of the CTO-USA, Inc. ……………………….……...................................................................24 Report of the Marketing – UK & Europe Department ………………………………………………………29 Report of the Communications Division …………………………………………………………………………36 Report of the Sustainable Tourism Division ……………………………………………………………………39 Report of the Membership Services Department……………………………………………………………..46 Report of the Resource Mobilization & Development Department …………………………………….49 Report of the Finance & Resource Management Department……………………………………………53 Reports of the Affiliate & Allied Members ………………………………………………………………………56 Appendices…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..67
i
THE 65TH MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE CARIBBEAN TOURISM ORGANIZATION
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2014
9:00 A.M. TO 12:00 NOON
Harbor III
Frenchman’s Reef & Morning Star Marriott Beach Resort St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
DRAFT AGENDA
1. Call to order, Roll Call, Invocation, Welcome of New Directors and Adoption of the Agenda
2. Sponsor’s presentation
3. Confirmation of the Minutes of the 64th Meeting of the Board of Directors held Wednesday, June 4, 2014 at Hilton Times Square, New York, USA
4. Matters arising from the Minutes
5. Affiliate and Allied Members Reports
6. Medical Tourism Development: Key Findings
7. Highlights of 2014 Key Performance Indicators – Secretary General’s Office & Divisions of the CTO
8. Presentation of 2015 Work Plans
9. Finance Sub-Committee Report and Budget Recommendation
10. Information and Discussion Items a. Update on the Constitutional Amendment b. Update on the 2015 Member Priorities Assessment Survey c. Update on the Caribbean Tourism Development Company d. Update on the CTO Aviation Task Force e. Update on the State of the Industry Conference
11. Election Procedures Briefing
12. New/Old Business
13. Date of the next meeting
14. Adjournment
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
64th
Meeting of the Board of Directors
Hilton Times Square
New York, NY, USA
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
Page 1
MINUTES OF THE 64TH
MEETING OF THE CTO BOARD OF DIRECTORS
HELD AT HILTON TIMES SQUARE, NEW YORK, NY, USA,
ON WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4, 2014 AT 2:00 P.M.
ATTENDANCE
U.S. Virgin Islands Ms. Chantal Figueroa - Chairman Present
Anguilla Ms. Candis Niles Present
Antigua &
Barbuda Mr. Colin James Absent
Bahamas Ms. Joy Ann Jibrilu Present
Barbados Mr. Campbell Rudder Present
Belize Ms. Karen Bevans Present
Bermuda Mr. William Hanbury Absent
Bonaire Ms. Marie Rosa Present
B.V.I. Mrs. Sharon Flax-Mars Present
Cayman Islands Ms. Oneisha Richards Absent
Cuba Ms. Maria del Carmen Orellana Absent
Curaçao Mr. Hugo Clarinda Present
Dominica Mr. Colin Piper Absent
Grenada Mr. Rudy Grant Present
Guadeloupe Mr. Willy Rosier Absent
Guyana Mr. Indranauth Haralsingh Absent
Haiti Ms. Maryse Noel Present
Jamaica Mr. John Lynch Absent
Martinique Mr. Patrice Bensalem Present
Montserrat Ms. Elveta Chalmers Absent
Puerto Rico Ms. Mari Jo Laborde Absent
St. Eustatius Mr. Charles Lindo Absent
St. Kitts & Nevis Ms. Racquel Brown Present
Saint Lucia Mr. Louis Lewis Present
St. Maarten Mr. Edward Dest Absent
St. Martin Ms. Silviane John Present
St. Vincent & The
Grenadines Mr. Glen Beache Present
Trinidad &
Tobago Ms. Yolande Selman Absent
Turks & Caicos Mr. Kingsley Been Present
Venezuela Ms. Irene A. Rondón Graterol Absent
DIRECTORS FOR CHTA
Mr. Richard Doumeng Present
Mr. Jeffrey Vasser Present
DIRECTORS FOR AIRLINES
American Airlines Absent
Air Canada Mr. Vijay Bathija Absent
British Airways Ms. Diane Corrie Absent
Caribbean Airlines Mr. Michael DiLollo Absent
LIAT Mr. David Evans Absent
DIRECTORS FOR CRUISE LINES
FCCA Ms. Michele Paige Present
Royal C’bean Cruise Lines Mr. Federico González-Denton Present Princess Cruises Mr. Stephen Nielsen Present
DIRECTORS FOR ALLIEDS
Global Bridal Group Mrs. Jacqueline Johnson Present
College of the Bahamas Professor Ruth Gardiner Absent
May Hinds Consulting Ms. May Hinds Absent
Cititech Solutions Mr. Leonid McFarlane Present
National Tour Assoc. Mr. Stephen Richer Present
DIRECTORS FOR CHAPTERS
Eastern USA Ms. Kimber Leivi Absent
AFFILIATE DIRECTORS
ACS Amb. H.E. Alfonso Múnera Absent
CCAA Ms. Sally Yearwood Present
OAS Mr. Richard Campbell Absent
WTTC Mr. David Scowsill Absent
PAHO Dr. Ernest Pate Absent
IICA Mrs. Ena C. Harvey Present
OECS Dr. Didacus Jules Absent
UNWTO Mr. Taleb Rifai Absent
CARICOM Ms. Lilia Ramjeawan Absent
CCL Senator Chester Humphrey Absent
HONORARY DIRECTORS
Dr. Jean Holder Absent
American Express Present
Mr. Reuben Page Absent
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64th
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Hilton Times Square
New York, NY, USA
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
Page 2
OTHER DELEGATES
Bahamas Mr. Tommy Thompson
Bonaire Ms. Candice Kimmel
Martinique Ms. Muriel Wiltord-Latamie
Nevis Mr. Greg Phillip
CHTA Mr. Emil Lee
STAFF
Barbados Mr. Hugh Riley
Ms. Charlene Drakes
Ms. Faye Gill
Mr. Winfield Griffith
Ms. Gail Henry
Mr. Johnson JohnRose
Mrs. Bonita Morgan
Mr. Neil Walters
USA Mr. Fernando Abreu
Ms. Sylma Brown-Bramble
UK Ms. Carol Hay
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64th
Meeting of the Board of Directors
Hilton Times Square
New York, NY, USA
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
Page 3
THE 64TH MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE CARIBBEAN TOURISM ORGANIZATION
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4, 2014 2:00 P.M. TO 5:00 P.M.
The Empire Room Hilton Times Square
New York, USA
DRAFT AGENDA
1. Call to order, Roll Call, Invocation, Welcome of New Directors and Adoption of the Agenda
2. Sponsor’s presentation
3. Confirmation of the Minutes of the Joint Meeting of the Council of Tourism Ministers and Commissioners & the Board of Directors held Sunday, January 12, 2014 at Half Moon, a RockResort, Montego Bay, Jamaica
4. Matters arising from the Minutes
5. Affiliate and Allied Members Reports
6. Mid-Year Performance Update
7. Finance Sub-Committee Report
8. Information and Discussion Items a. Update on the Constitutional Amendment b. Update on CTO Services c. Update on the Caribbean Tourism Development Company d. Update on the CTO Aviation Task Force
9. New/Old Business
10. Date of the next meeting
11. Adjournment
FOLLOW-UP
ACTION
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Meeting of the Board of Directors
Hilton Times Square
New York, NY, USA
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
Page 4
1. CALL TO ORDER
The meeting was called to order at 2:43 p.m.
2. ROLL CALL
The roll call was taken by Mr. Neil Walters, Director of Finance & Resource Management of the
CTO. It was established that a quorum was present.
3. WELCOME OF NEW DIRECTORS OF TOURISM
Chairman of the Board of Directors, Ms. Chantal Figueroa, officially welcomed the following
Directors to the CTO and they were all pinned with the CTO and Caribbean logo pins:
Ms. Joy Ann Jibrilu of the Bahamas
Ms. Karen Bevans of Belize
Mr. Rudy Grant of Grenada
Ms. Maryse Noel of Haiti
Mr. Greg Phillip of Nevis
Mr. Federico González-Denton of Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd.
Mr. Leonid McFarlane of Cititech Solutions
Mr. Stephen Richer of the National Tour Association
Ms. Ivette Murillo of the American Express Company
4. INVOCATION
The invocation was delivered by Mr. Hugh Riley, Secretary General & CEO of the CTO.
5. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA
After it was noted that the sponsor’s presentation was no longer an agenda item, the Agenda of the
64th
Meeting of the Board of Directors was adopted on a motion by the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism
Association (CHTA) and seconded by Cititech Solutions.
6. CONFIRMATION OF THE MINUTES
The Minutes of the Joint Meeting of the Council of Tourism Ministers and Commissioners & the
Board of Directors held on January 12, 2014, were approved as circulated on a motion by St. Martin
and seconded by Saint Lucia.
7. MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES
There were no matters arising from the Minutes.
FOLLOW-UP
ACTION
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8. AFFILIATE AND ALLIED MEMBERS REPORTS
Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association
Mr. Jeffrey Vasser of the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA) indicated that he would
miss the leadership of current CHTA president Mr. Richard Doumeng whose tenure was concluding
shortly. Mr. Vasser stated that he and Mr. Emil Lee, Mr. Doumeng’s successor, were committed to
maintaining a good relationship with the CTO and would be exploring ways for the two
organizations to share resources and promote the Caribbean collectively.
Mr. Doumeng expressed his belief that the public-private sector relationship was stronger than it
ever was before, despite the desired level of progress not being made on some joint initiatives,
primarily the Caribbean Tourism Development Company (CTDC). He then asserted that the CTO
and CHTA duplicating activities and initiatives while having diminished resources, such as
investment conferences, sustainable tourism conferences and education foundations, would be
financially detrimental to both organizations.
The Chairman thanked Mr. Doumeng for his years of service as President. She agreed that better
resource management and collaboration between the CTO and CHTA were very important.
Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association
Ms. Michele Paige of the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) related that 21.7 million
cruise passengers were forecast for 2014, an increase over the 21.3 million passengers the cruise
lines received in 2013. She also noted that 15 new ships would be unveiled in 2014, two more than
the previous year. She then indicated that the Caribbean hosted 37.3% of the overall worldwide
product in 2014, and increase over the 34.4% it hosted in 2013.
Ms. Paige asserted that it was crucial for all CTO partners to work together to ensure that the
Caribbean had the most demanded cruise product which constantly attracted visitors because of its
high quality and not just because it was a warm weather destination.
She subsequently announced that the Business Research & Economic Advisors (BREA) study,
which analysed the economic impact of the cruise industry on the Caribbean, was underway and that
the results would be disclosed in 2015.
The Chairman asked Ms. Paige to formalize the assistance she was willing to offer to CTO member
countries to ensure that the Caribbean was a more highly sought-after destination and not regarded
as a low budget destination.
Ms. Paige underscored the importance of working with the private sector, as it was the engine
behind showcasing the unique elements of individual destinations. She emphasized that although
identifying with the Caribbean brand was important, members should not hide behind the Caribbean
brand, but should highlight the unique elements of their tourism products.
Ms. Figueroa indicated that although Caribbean destinations recognized the importance of
highlighting their unique traits to the consumer, many did not know how to do so effectively.
FOLLOW-UP
ACTION
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Caribbean-Central American Action
Ms. Sally Yearwood’s report on behalf of the Caribbean-Central American Action (CCAA) focused
on the issue of U.S. pre-clearance in the Caribbean. She indicated that preliminary discussions had
commenced with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection office in Washington D.C. She indicated
that U.S. Customs and Border Protection had extended pre-clearance to one new Caribbean country
five years subsequent to being mandated to extend it to 24 and that the agency was therefore
currently very interested in implementing pre-clearance in the Caribbean.
Ms. Yearwood related to the Directors that she had information on the pre-clearance process for
their review. She noted that a major change to the process was that the Caribbean countries – and no
longer the U.S. government – would be required to bear the cost of pre-clearance implementation.
Ms. Yearwood stated that she would continue discussions with the U.S. Customs and Border
Protection office and Caribbean country representatives in Washington D.C.
She encouraged the Directors to contact her with their questions.
Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture
Ms. Ena Harvey of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) expressed
her gratitude to the CTO for its support in promoting the discussion of agriculture’s role in tourism
and for working with IICA over the last 10 years.
She indicated that IICA had carried out diagnostic studies in several areas of Haiti and the
Dominican Republic to support the sustainable livelihoods of their populations though several
agrotourism linkage activities.
Ms. Harvey then related that IICA, with funding support from the Government of Mexico, was
promoting the training of 30 Caribbean persons in Mexico in the area of rural tourism.
She stated that IICA was very willing to join the CTO Foundation to secure more funding for
training opportunities in agrotourism and rural tourism for countries that were not members of IICA.
Ms. Harvey mentioned that the following day IICA would be signing a Memorandum of
Understanding with the CTO during the Caribbean Press Conference to formalize their relationship
and to strengthen and advance their efforts.
9. MID-YEAR PERFORMANCE UPDATE
After stating the Vision of the CTO, Mr. Riley indicated that the CTO’s 2014 Mission was: to
provide strategic leadership in tourism in order to position the Caribbean as the most desirable, year
round, warm weather destination by 2017.
FOLLOW-UP
ACTION
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He also outlined the CTO’s strategic alignment and stated that it was designed to ensure the
achievement of the CTO’s Mission and Vision through the divisions’ specific objectives, and to
increase divisions’ accountability to members.
Mr. Riley’s presentation focused on the progress the CTO’s divisions had made in achieving their
respective Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), which were outlined in the pre-circulated 63rd
Report
of the Board of Directors.
The achievements highlighted for the period under review were as follows:
Membership Services: completing country visits with 70% of membership; improved alignment of
programming and services with members’ needs; updating products and services offered based on
members’ feedback; and making official visits and delivering presentations to key senior tourism
officials in St. Barthélemy and Suriname outlining the benefits of CTO membership.
Communications: organizing and hosting the CTO’s inaugural Tweetup during Caribbean Tourism
Month which created approximately 1.3 million Twitter impressions; negotiating with the UK
newspaper, the Phoenix, to secure approximately £100,000 in advertising for members that exhibited
at World Travel Market; and drafting a crisis communications plan on the chikungunya virus.
Research & Information Technology: completing the first detailed country survey and report on
the Guestpitality – Total Visitor Satisfaction Programme; developing new standard templates for
questionnaires and other documents for the regional Tourism Satellite Accounts programme; and
completing a Caribbean cruise study.
Resource Mobilization & Development: tourism being taught at the Caribbean Advanced
Proficiency Examination (CAPE) level in September 2014 in countries utilizing the Caribbean
Examinations Council (CXC) program; securing educational funding from the Commonwealth of
Learning; and conducting a regional workshop to revise the tourism/hospitality associate degree
curriculum, which was attended by representatives from 16 tourism education institutions.
Marketing – UK & Europe: launching a new Caribbean Wedding & Honeymoon Guide and a new
Caribbean Meetings & Incentives Guide at major travel events in the UK; conducting preparatory
work in non-traditional markets in Eastern Europe; and hosting a Social Media Roundtable in
London with CTO UK Chapter Members.
Sustainable Tourism Development: participating in the March 27 launch of the Sustainable
Destinations Alliance of the Americas initiative with Sustainable Travel International, the
Organization of American States and Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd; finalizing a Memorandum of
Understanding to formalize the CTO’s relationship with the Inter-American Institute for
Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA); and working with the Center for Responsible Travel to create
the 3rd
Symposium for Innovators in Coastal Tourism scheduled for July 9-11, 2014 in Grenada.
FOLLOW-UP
ACTION
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CTO-USA, Inc.: securing a commitment from Travel & Leisure and other publications, valued at
over $250,000 in media coverage for Caribbean Week in New York; conducting webinars and sales
presentations hosted by individual member countries in which 350 travel agents in the USA
participated; and overseeing technical arrangements and conducting event management for four
major CTO events in New York, Toronto, Grenada and St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.
Finance & Resource Management: extensive interaction with members to explain the reductions
and write-offs in dues, as well as payment plans and revocation changes; successful implementation
of the new fee structure in less than one quarter of the financial year; and enabling the organization’s
operations to function effectively, even under significant financial strictures.
The complete presentation is available at www.OneCaribbean.org.
Ms. Paige requested more information about the Caribbean cruise study. Director of Research &
Information Technology Mr. Winfield Griffith indicated that the CTO had gathered information over
the last two years through direct surveying of cruise visitors and an online survey targeting potential
cruise visitors. He stated that within the last two months, sufficient information had been collected to
prepare a report which provided significant detail on the potential for cruising, particularly during
the summer. Mr. Griffith added that the study had been completed a few weeks ago, and the findings
would be presented at the State of the Industry Conference in September, but would be shared with
the Directors prior to the event for their review.
Ms. Paige expressed that she was insulted that the F-CCA was not consulted on the undertaking of
the study. Mr. Griffith indicated that he had contacted Ms. Paige when the study was initially
conceptualized requesting the FCCA’s assistance in facilitating data collection on cruise vessels, and
that Ms. Paige had indicated that FCCA’s assistance was unnecessary. Ms Paige indicated that Ms.
Griffith had contacted her requesting the FCCA to do the ground work of distribution, but not to be a
consultant to review the survey being distributed. She expressed her belief that the study would have
benefitted from the expertise of the Board’s cruise lines directors.
The Chairman indicated that it was very possibly a matter of miscommunication, and encouraged the
CTO Secretariat to ensure they utilized the expertise of members on future projects. Mr. Riley
expressed his agreement with the Chairman’s ruling and stated that the Secretariat would ensure to
continue including the CTO’s partners in all relevant endeavours.
Subsequently, Ms. Figueroa encouraged the new Directors to engage with the CTO’s Director of
Membership Services, Ms. Faye Gill, to discuss their concerns, especially those pertaining to the
value of the CTO and the new tiered membership.
She also encouraged the Directors to employ the crisis communications services offered by the
Communications Division. Mr. Riley indicated that a very small fee was associated with the services
which depended on a country’s level of membership.
Winfield
Griffith
FOLLOW-UP
ACTION
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Wednesday, June 4, 2014
Page 9
Ms. Figueroa then enquired about options for accessing the CXC tourism curriculum for those
members not utilizing the CXC programme. Mrs. Morgan replied that the syllabus was on the
CXC’s website, www.CXC.org, for free. She added that Tourism Studies was also offered at the
Associate Degree level and that she would share the information with all interested members. Mr.
Riley indicated that the Secretariat had provided technical assistance to St. Martin – which did not
utilize the CXC programme – in implementing the tourism curriculum in its schools and would of
course do likewise for other members.
The Chairman then asked Ms. Brown-Bramble to share the comment she made at the Technical
Review Session the previous day regarding a member using its relationship with its media partners
to promote the CTO and the Caribbean. Ms. Brown-Bramble related she was pleased to note that a
member of the National Tourist Office representatives in New York refused to sign a media buy
from a media partner until that partner committed to supporting Caribbean Week in New York in
exchange for the advertising they received from that member.
She added that her comment about the New York Times was that the Caribbean was still the largest
exhibitor at the New York Times Show, but the New York Times was not a sponsor of Caribbean
Week in New York. She stated that the member countries were in a position to negotiate with
international media – given the large amounts of money they spent with them – to ensure they
supported CTO activities in New York and became members of the organization. She noted that
those actions strengthened the organization and put the CTO in a better position to provide members
with more exposure in the marketplace.
Ms. Harvey indicated that IICA would welcome the CTO’s participation in its 13th
Caribbean Week
of Agriculture to be held in Suriname. She stated that, collectively, IICA and the CTO could
convince Suriname to re-join the CTO. Mr. Riley expressed that the offer was greatly appreciated.
Ms. Racquel Brown of St. Kitts & Nevis suggested that it would be beneficial if a system could be
established at the next meeting whereby members identified the big media buys in which they would
be participating, and the CTO indicated from which media partners it would like support, so that
members were aware of that when negotiating with those partners. Ms. Figueroa agreed that it was a
good suggestion which would be implemented at the CTO meetings in September.
10. FINANCE SUB-COMMITTEE REPORT
Mr. Walters first stated that the mission of the Department of Finance and Resource Management
was: to enhance the CTO’s financial stability and sustainability in order to strengthen and grow
membership in the CTO.
He indicated that several major decisions had been made at the Joint Meeting of the Council of
Tourism Ministers & Commissioners in January 2014, and that these were: the CTO fee structure
would be changed to a two tier structure; a constitutional change would be made to effect
membership revocation after two years of arrears; and there would be a write-off of 75% of
outstanding membership dues from 2007-2011.
Bonita
Morgan
Sylma
Brown
Bramble
Carol
Hay
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The key points of the presentation were:
After the decisions made in January 2014, there were eight members with outstanding dues
dating back to 2007, four of which had been issued with payment plans, and one of which
had begun making payments
As of May 30, 2014, one member had fully paid outstanding balances dating back to 2007
There were 16% and 8.6% reductions in the collection of membership dues arrears and
Regional Marketing Fund (RMF) arrears respectively
The level of dues collections for the year was lower than that of previous years
The CTO had experienced negative cash flows for the first four months of 2014, which
reduced its ability to execute programs
As of May 30, 2014, 50% of the CTO’s members were in good financial standing
Only members in good financial standing qualified to stand for CTO office and vote in the
September 2014 elections
The Finance & Resource Management Department would work with members to develop
payment plans tailored to their individual situations
Mr. Walters concluded by encouraging the Directors to provide feedback on the new fee structure
and the other changes decided in January 2014.
The complete presentation is available at www.OneCaribbean.org.
Ms. Harvey asked if the CTO charged an institutional net rate on projects financed with external
resources. She explained that most international agencies, IICA included, charged an institutional
net rate amounting to 7-15% of the project’s funds, which was used to pay for indirect costs accrued
during implementation of the program. She encouraged the CTO to do the same, as it would provide
the organization with additional funds. She then shared that the European Union was interested in
providing millions of Euros in project funding to the Caribbean.
Mr. Riley responded that an institutional net rate was not currently a source of revenue for the CTO.
He indicated that the organization was examining the financial models of other organizations, and
that the CTO would like to spend some time with Ms. Harvey analyzing IICA’s model. He
explained that all extra-regional funding the CTO had received to date had been used to provide
programs for members and none to cover overhead costs.
The Chairman enquired about the reasons that members were still not paying their dues. She
indicated that the new dues structure had been designed to help members fulfill their financial
obligations in a difficult economic climate. She encouraged the Directors to discuss their issues with
Mr. Walters if the new dues structure was posing challenges for them. She stated that although
members had great expectations from the CTO, funds were needed to implement programs which
allowed the CTO to assist its members with tourism product development.
Mr. Walters expressed that he would be completely available during Caribbean Week to meet with
Directors who had queries.
Bonita
Morgan
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ACTION
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11. UPDATE ON THE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
Mr. Walters indicated that in light of the decision made to change the membership revocation policy
stipulated in the CTO Agreement & By-laws, a Constitution Review Committee had been formed to
examine the entire constitution and identify other areas requiring amendment to better reflect the
current situation. He related that the committee was comprised of himself, Hon. Richard Skerritt of
St. Kitts & Nevis who served as the Chair, the Chairman of the CTO Council of Tourism Ministers
and Commissioners, Mr. Riley, and the legal advisor of the CTO Headquarters.
He explained that there was a process outlined in the constitution to guide the constitutional change
process; that changes could only be ratified after a six-month period; and the ratification would
occur at the Council of Tourism Ministers and Commissioners meeting in September 2014.
Mr. Walters indicated that the constitution had been circulated to members in February and March
2014 for feedback and recommended changes. He indicated that the deadline to communicate
feedback would be extended to June 30, 2014 and feedback would be forwarded to the Constitution
Review Committee in the first week of July 2014.
Subsequently, Mr. Walters outlined the CTO’s election procedures in light of the elections which
would be held in September 2014.
The key points were:
• All candidates contesting a seat were required to be present to be on the ballot
• Only tourism Ministers and Commissioners or their approved representatives could vote in
the election
• Only members in good financial standing could nominate and second a candidate for election
• If, on the first ballot there was no majority, a second ballot would be taken between the two
candidates who obtained the most votes
• The results of the election would also determine the Chairman of the Board of Directors as
the Director would be from the same country as the elected Chairman of the Council of
Tourism Ministers and Commissioners
• Seven Vice Chairmen of the Board of Directors representing the six sub-regions of the CTO
Board would be elected – one each from the US, British Overseas, Spanish, French and
Dutch territories, and two from the CARICOM countries
The full presentation is available on www.OneCaribbean.org.
12. UPDATE ON CTO SERVICES
Ms. Gill delivered an update on the services of the CTO and the activities which the CTO had
undertaken to improve and enhance the services provided to the CTO’s membership. She began by
stating that the role of the Membership Services Department was to assess members’ needs, develop
programmes and services to meet those needs, enhance members’ satisfaction through enhanced
engagement, add value to the member experience, effectively advocate for members and bridge any
communication gaps between members and the Secretariat.
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The key points of Ms. Gill’s presentation were:
The 2012 Organizational Audit underscored the importance of the CTO becoming more
member-focused
A Priorities Assessment Survey had been carried out in 2013 to achieve more membership
engagement and to identify members’ needs and priorities, and had helped to shape the
divisions’ 2014 Work Plans
The Priorities Assessment Survey targeted both government and non-government members,
and 70% of the government members had responded
The next Priorities Assessment Survey would be carried out on July 1, 2014 and Directors
were encouraged to provide feedback
The core service categories for the CTO’s government members were: Advocacy, Business
Development & Marketing, Human Resource Development, Media Relations Management,
Project Development, Research & Information Technology, and Resource Mobilization
There were two levels of membership which corresponded to the new dues structure: Base
Membership and Gold Membership
Gold Membership included highly specialized services tailored specifically to the needs of the
members to better capitalize on growth opportunities
A CTO Products and Services list which outlined the services offered at the different levels of
membership had been developed and circulated to all members
Activities geared toward non-government members included: categorization of the
membership proposition, development of a welcome presentation, simplification of the
application form, and the provision of an online application
The core service categories for non-government members which related to their needs were:
Advocacy, Business Facilitation, Incentives & Discounts, Networking, Research and
Technical Assistance
Ms. Gill concluded by outlining that membership services activities for the next six months
included: conducting the 2014 Priorities Assessment Survey; detailing the regional strategic
programming; continuing country visits and presentations; further refining the Product & Services
Portfolio; and establishing an incentive programme for non-government members.
The complete presentation is available at www.OneCaribbean.org.
Ms. Ena Harvey enquired about the possibility of CTO’s partners helping the organization to deliver
the services outlined in its work plans. She indicated that IICA would be willing to help the CTO
with its advocacy efforts and policy development, and suggested that the CTO use its strategic
alliances to assist with the execution of its strategies. Mr. Riley thanked Ms. Harvey for the offer.
13. UPDATE ON THE CARIBBEAN TOURISM DEVELOPMENT COMPANY
Mr. Riley related that on May 1 and 2, 2014, the members of the CTDC Board of Directors met in
Miami for a retreat to discuss all matters relevant to the company’s future. He indicated that the
main outcomes of that meeting were: the recognized importance of hiring a CEO; the importance of
identifying sources of funding and generating revenue ideas; and the need to develop a business
plan, either before the installation of the CEO or with the CEO’s input.
Hugh
Riley
FOLLOW-UP
ACTION
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
64th
Meeting of the Board of Directors
Hilton Times Square
New York, NY, USA
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
Page 13
Mr. Vasser stated that the CTDC’s main asset, www.CaribbeanTravel.com, was lacking content due
to insufficient information from members on their respective countries and hotels. He stressed that
increased content would increase visitation to the website.
Mr. Riley then called on the Directors to be advocates for the CTDC in their respective countries, to
frequent CaribbeanTravel.com, and to ensure that the content on their respective countries’ pages
was updated regularly.
Mr. Riley also called on the Board to re-institute the CTO marketing committee, which would make
recommendations on the CTDC’s proposed marketing activities to the CTDC Board on behalf of the
CTO, thereby providing the CTO Board with the opportunity to offer input into the CTDC’s
operations.
Mr. Riley then implored the Directors to use the Caribbean logo on their countries’ tourism
websites; the logo would be clickable so that it would send visitors to the individual pages of their
respective countries on CaribbeanTravel.com, thereby bringing more traffic to those pages.
The Chairman asked the Directors to identify the reasons their countries were not using the website
and the obstacles they were facing preventing them from providing content for the website.
Mr. Riley indicated that 28% of the visitors to CaribbeanTravel.com go directly to the individual
page of a member, which was significantly higher than the 10% maximum industry standard. Mr.
Vasser stated that CaribbeanTravel.com had generated 80,000 leads during its first year of operation,
approximately half of which were for destinations and half of which were for hotels.
Mr. Vasser also related to the Directors that they would receive a flyer within the next few days
outlining the assistance to be offered by the digital agency Tambourine, which was the CTDC’s
partner on the website. He explained that a Tambourine employee would be available to guide them
through the process of updating website content.
Mr. Stephen Richer of the National Tour Association (NTA) highlighted the absence of cruise and
air booking facilities on the site. He noted that offering those facilities would generate more traffic.
Ms. Paige indicated that the same matter had been discussed at the Executive Committee Meeting
that morning and expressed her agreement that the site should be an all-inclusive resource for
planning and securing a Caribbean vacation. Mr. Richer stated that securing more product to be
offered on the site would prompt more carriers to offer their product on the site, and that the NTA
would be happy to assist the CTDC in that area. Mr. Riley thanked Mr. Richer for the offer. He then
explained that CaribbeanTravel.com previously had a booking engine, but it was removed. He noted
that the site served as a portal to members’ sites and those had booking facilities.
Mr. Riley then indicated that a flyer would be circulated very shortly outlining an offer of
complimentary feature on the site for six months to every tourism-related business in the Caribbean,
whether or not part of the CTO’s or CHTA’s membership.
Sylma
Brown
Bramble
Carol
Hay
Jeffrey
Vasser
Hugh
Riley
FOLLOW-UP
ACTION
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
64th
Meeting of the Board of Directors
Hilton Times Square
New York, NY, USA
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
Page 14
14. UPDATE ON THE CTO AVIATION TASK FORCE
Mr. Riley indicated that the Aviation Task Force (ATF) was an instrument of the CTO initiated by
the current Chairman of the Council of Tourism Ministers and Commissioners, the Hon. Beverly
Nicholson Doty. He added that the ATF was committed to resolving many of the aviation issues
within the region through collaboration with other entities throughout the wider Caribbean.
He related that the CTO Aviation Task Force was co-hosting Caribbean Aviation Day which was to
be held on September 16, 2014 in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands immediately prior to the 2014
State of the Industry Conference. He indicated that several Latin American carriers, along with
Caribbean carriers, would be participating in the event, which signified that regional aviation issues
would be discussed beyond those pertaining to the Insular Caribbean.
Mr. Riley concluded by requesting the Board to allow the continued operation of the CTO ATF,
which had originally been established with a two-year life span. He asserted that the progress the
CTO ATF had made and the number of regional aviation issues which remained to be resolved
warranted its continued existence.
15. NEW/OLD BUSINESS
Ms. Brown-Bramble encouraged the Directors to attend the remaining events of Caribbean Week in
New York.
16. DATE OF THE NEXT MEETING
The Chairman indicated that the next meeting of the Board of Directors would be held on September
16, 2014 immediately before the State of the Industry Conference in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin
Islands.
17. ADJOURNMENT
There being no other business, the meeting was adjourned at 4:52 p.m.
CONFIRMED: …………………………………………………………………..
DATE……………………………………………………………………………..
SECRETARY GENERAL
15
REPORT OF THE SECRETARY GENERAL FOR THE
PERIOD JUNE TO AUGUST, 2014
Introduction
2017 VISION:
• To position the Caribbean as the most desirable, year round, warm weather
destination by 2017
2014 MISSION: CTO
• Provide strategic leadership in tourism in order to position the Caribbean
as the most desirable, year round, warm weather destination by 2017
The Secretary General’s 2014 Mission:
Strengthen and grow membership in the CTO in order to provide strategic leadership
in tourism.
The Secretary General’s Key Performance Indicators for 2014 as presented in October
2013:
1. Redesign and implement a system for the differentiation of services
and fees aimed at delivering the regional Vision.
2. Increase the number of Government and non-government members in
good financial standing by a minimum of 10%.
3. Reinforce and measure the usefulness of the CTO to its members.
4. Implement a minimum of two new member-related programs by
December 2014.
5. Secure $2.0m in non-government funding.
6. Lead the regional effort to outperform the projected increase in global
tourist arrivals.
7. Achieve 100% of country-visit presentations by December 31, 2014.
16
Overview
The ‘perfect storm’ that seems to beset Caribbean tourism from time to time has
formed again. At the time of writing this report in August, reported cases of
chikungunya have passed the half million mark, concerns about dengue fever persist,
fears of the deadly Ebola virus are beginning to spread, and economic hardship
continues to maintain a stranglehold on the Region’s ability to market itself.
How much of an effect these factors are really having on arrivals and on the overall
tourism economy is difficult to gauge, but what we know with certainty is that without
the ability to market ourselves effectively and defend our turf in the international
media, our region is all the more vulnerable to every prevailing crisis. These realities
don’t shake us from our purpose to lead sustainable tourism. Rather, they strengthen
our resolve but also stretch our resources to the limit.
The CTO Secretariat, in conjunction with our new partner the Caribbean Public Health
Agency (CARPHA), will ensure that wherever possible, official information about
viruses or any medical emergencies in the Caribbean is transmitted with accuracy and
sensitivity, in an attempt to minimize the damage to the livelihood of our populations.
In regard to the quest for financial sustainability, the Secretariat has been completely
focused on implementing the new services/dues strategy agreed by the Board of
Directors and the Council of Ministers & Commissioners at the beginning of the year,
while ensuring that the Organization is always aligned with the needs of our members.
The Secretariat is also fully cognizant of the need to use its best efforts to earn income
in ways that reduce the financial burden on its members. In our search for revenue
generation, a number of strategies have been proposed and are at various stages of
development. Some of this will be presented at the upcoming SOTIC.
Status of the Secretary General’s Performance Indicators:
1. Redesign and implement a system for the differentiation of
services and fees aimed at delivering the regional Vision.
The design of a system that has fundamentally altered the way the CTO
charges for its services has been achieved. Creating a General
Membership fee with a basic menu of services, and a Gold Membership
with enhanced value, has broken new ground in the history of the CTO
which, for all of its existence had had a single class of membership.
17
Considerable progress has been made. However, it has become clear that the
multiple factors relating to this change – new billing arrangements, individual
country peculiarities, the value of Gold versus General Membership,
negotiating ‘hybrids’, etc. - will take time to be embedded throughout our
membership.
2. Increase the number of Government and non-government
members in good financial standing by a minimum of 10%.
At the end of July 2014 the number of Government members in good
financial standing stood at 15 or approximately 50% of the
Government members. At the same time in 2013 the number was 19.
That number will increase, but as long as economic hardship
continues to affect the Caribbean, progress will be slow.
The introduction of payment plans has helped our members; some
have been utilizing that facility. For the Secretariat it creates a cash
flow challenge but it does give us a chance to achieve the collection
goal.
In regard to efforts to increase the actual number of CTO members,
the Secretariat has been engaging Suriname, St. Barths and Colombia
but none has committed. All have expressed strong interest.
St. Barths participated as observers in our June meetings in New York
and seemed to be on the verge of a decision; Colombia has agreed to
be a speaker at our State of the Industry Conference in September;
Suriname requested specific financial details and appeared to be
budgeting for membership. Our effort to win these three will continue.
Growth in non-Government membership is continuing at a steady
pace with 52 new Allied members secured so far this year.
In regard to non-Government membership in good financial standing
we will need to expend more effort. We are at about the same number
of actual members as we were at this time in 2013 (150 members);
although in terms of revenue we have already exceeded the 2014
target.
18
3. Reinforce and measure the usefulness of the CTO to its members.
The usefulness of the CTO to our members appears to be on the
increase. This presumption is based on the increase in the number and
types of requests being received from members, and the results of our
recent Membership Priorities Survey.
In the 2015 Membership Priorities Survey undertaken this July, 21
countries responded; a very encouraging 70% response rate. Of those,
many made actual recommendations regarding programming and
engagement.
Willingness to pay is often an indicator of usefulness and in this regard we
need to work even more steadfastly to achieve this. It is worth noting that the
countries which are slow to pay are actually citing financial hardship rather
than dissatisfaction with the Organization.
During the Fourth Quarter of this year the Secretariat will complete the
development of a metric which will give us a better gauge for measuring
member satisfaction.
4. Implement a minimum of two new member-related programs by
December 2014.
The first of these new programs is a plan to provide affordable market
research and promotional services to our Government and non-
Government members. It’s designed to attract greater numbers of
members by offering an array
of concessionary services on a cost-recovery basis. At the time of writing
this report the core of this program was being refined for presentation at
our Business Meetings in September.
A second new program is aimed specifically at enhancing our members’
competitiveness through reductions in their energy costs. This is built on
the premise that significant savings in the currently high energy costs in
the Caribbean’s tourism sector will help to enhance profitability and
reduce the need for Government concessions. This is at the concept stage
with a potential partner and will be circulated during the Fourth Quarter.
19
5. Secure $2.0m in non-government funding.
This will likely be achieved by the end of the year. At the end of July we
had reached $1.85 million in funding from the Inter-American
Development Bank (IDB), Organization of American States (OAS) and
the European Union (EU) for specific projects.
6. Lead the regional effort to outperform the projected increase in
global tourist arrivals.
The Secretariat continues to lead this effort which, in practical terms,
requires us to strengthen and build relationships with a vast array of
producers and promoters of vacation business to the Caribbean including
airlines, tour operators, travel professionals and the CTDC.
The key component in this deliverable would be the achievement of an
aggressive, sustainable marketing campaign allowing the Caribbean region
to attain and maintain the level of results achieved in the past. Our forecast
model for 2014 shows the region’s tourism arrivals growing at 3.5% - 4.0%
in 2014. The global figure projected by the UNWTO is 4.5%. Therefore, to
outperform the rest of the world the Caribbean would need to grow at a rate
exceeding 4.5% this year. There are years when the Region has done so but
in the current environment it has been a severe challenge.
We also continue our efforts to assist member-countries in accessing new
sources of business from non-traditional as well as traditional markets.
Success in that regard will also assist in meeting the goal.
7. Achieve 100% of country-visit presentations by December 31,
2014.
This will likely be achieved. Bonaire and Antigua & Barbuda were proposed
for August. Only Barbados, Dominica, Guyana, St. Kitts, St. Eustatius and
Venezuela would remain to be covered by the end of the year.
The country-visit presentations have been critically important during this
period of economic challenge for member-countries and the CTO.
RESEARCH
&
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
20
RESEARCH & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DIVISION
Report of Activities: June, 2014 - August, 2014
Mission Statement
Strengthen tourism decision making through provision of quality
research, statistical analysis and Information Technology services in
order to strengthen and grow membership in the CTO.
Key Performance Indicators
TVS system functioning in 10 member countries
TSA framework adopted fully in 5 member countries
Resources mobilized for TSA and TVS
Increase Supply of department’s services
System developed to respond to all membership queries for intelligence,
statistics and research in 1 business day
Compliant provision of statistics increased from 24 member countries to
at least 28
1. GUESTPITALITY - TOTAL VISITOR SATISFACTION (TVS PROGRAMME)
Currently in advanced discussions with Belize, Cayman Islands, Anguilla and
Barbados who are interested in participating in the programme in 2014.
2. IDB Regional Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) Implementation Project
At the outset it should be appreciated that the process of establishing a TSA is medium-
term to long-term in nature by virtue of its massive data, and financial requirements
will typically take a country three to five years to complete depending on the level of
statistical development in that country.
This Project’s primary objective is to establish an accurate, efficient and well-
coordinated statistical system which will produce quality data to assist tourism
stakeholders with the continuous measurement of the direct impact of tourism on the
economies of the region. This system is designed to enhance and strengthen the ability
of the region’s tourism policymakers to make well informed decisions for years to
come.
21
2.1 The second component of the TSA project is completed. This involved a
short term consultancy which produced the following deliverables:
(i) An inception report that detailed the approach
(ii) A work plan which outlined the timelines and resource
requirements for input from the CTO and the Regional
Coordinating Committee delivered
(iii) TSA presentations to sensitization workshop conducted for senior
tourism officials
(iv) A comprehensive set of standard forms, questionnaires and
documents for use by participating countries
(v) Plan of action with timetable and schedules worked out in
collaboration with the national agencies (Statistics and Tourism)
and the National Coordinating Committees
2.2 Undertook systems analysis of the Jamaica Tourism Satellite Accounts
programme, designed blue-print and started development of offline and online
electronic tools to facilitate the TSA. Technical assistance was also provided to
Jamaica STATIN in advancing the TSA programme to include estimates of
employment in tourism. Consultants are continuing work in the IADB
beneficiary countries (the Bahamas, Barbados and Trinidad & Tobago) to
further develop the Tourism Satellite Account in a regionally harmonious way.
3. CORPORATE AND CONSUMER INTERNET SITE ACTIVITY
The corporate website OneCaribbean.org, now just over a year old, has
continued to receive increased traffic activity. Since the May 2013
launch date, there have been 178,401 visits to the site by 121,363
unique visitors with page views numbering 446,554. That is on average
11,893 visits per month, double the average 5,600 visits per month with
the previous design.
- Additional site features this period are :
New Allied Profile section giving prominence to Allied
Members on a rotation basis and presence on the homepage.
new content areas created and administered for the July 2014
3rd
Symposium for Innovators in Coastal Tourism and
presentations added. New SOTIC section was created for the
September 2014 event.
22
Continued management of the CTO Management Performance Tool
Continued management of online surveys
Transfer of content from the European language sites to
OneCaribbean.org
Ongoing work carried out on the sites during this period included:
# Online promotion of the CTO and member country events
# Continued social media support and content placement for the CTO
and its members
# Content (speeches, videos, photos) from Caribbean Week and other
events updated and added to OneCaribbean.org, and the CTO’s Google
Picasa and YouTube accounts
# Other refreshed content, calendar 2014 updates and design revisions
periodically
# Overall management of CTO domain and PayPal accounts
# Content on the CTO’s Twitter, Facebook and YouTube accounts was
updated regularly. On Facebook, the CTO has 4,288 fans, up from
3,431; on Twitter, there are 5,872 followers, up from 4,720; on
YouTube, there were 162,322 total lifetime views, up from 113,805
during the last reporting period.
4. Tourism Statistics and Research for Region
Reviewed and approved the final draft of “Future Caribbean Cruise Survey”, the
first such report produced by the CTO.
Prepared first econometric study quantifying the impact of APD on Caribbean
tourist arrivals from UK.
Provided technical assistance to a member who is interested in purchasing a
forecasting model.
Created common/standard Visitor expenditure questionnaire guidelines as an input
for creating TSAs in the region.
Conducted satisfaction surveys for Caribbean Week New York and Toronto, the 3rd
Symposium for Innovators in Coastal Tourism and for a major inaugural event
held by one of our members.
Conducted a Visitor Expenditure Motivation and Satisfaction survey for a member.
Published and distributed monthly arrivals data from 25 member countries in the
Latest 2014 reports. Two reports per months were produced.
23
Reviewed tourism performance for the first quarter. The report is available for
download on OneCaribbean.org.
Completed tourism performance Mid-Year review.
Collected annual questionnaires on tourism and economic statistics. The response
to this annual exercise was poor; this notwithstanding the individual country
reports for 2013 should be available by the end of September 2014.
Responded to a wide range of requests for tourism statistics and research from
member countries, regional and international agencies and the private sector.
MIST
Continued to offer technical support for MIST. Several issues were resolved for
Antigua & Barbuda, Guyana and Turks & Caicos Islands.
Signed a contract for the development of the tourism management tool.
5. Tracking documents and servicing queries
Acquired software Confluence and JIRA to enable effective internal
tracking, sharing and better document management to enable servicing of
member request and queries.
6. Internship Activity.
The Division continued its internship programme which is intended to promote
research of topics that add value to the regional tourism research agenda while
grooming the region’s upcoming professionals. One new intern – an undergraduate
from the University of the West Indies is currently working on two research projects.
She is working on establishing standard regional definitions for the Caribbean
accommodation sector and researching the potential of the Chinese market to the
regional tourism industry. Another intern completed her work, which started in the first
quarter of 2014, on the effects of APD on UK tourist arrivals to the Caribbean.
CTO-USA, INC.
24
REPORT OF CTO-USA, INC.
MAY 2014 TO JULY 2014
MISSION STATEMENT OF CTO-USA, INC.
To maximize the value of CTO’s presence in its major source market in
order to strengthen and grow membership in the CTO.
KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
1. Increase revenue from non-government membership sources
2. Secure sponsorship funding for consumer and trade events
3. Increase private sector membership
4. Increase net revenue from special events
5. Utilize CTO Foundation alumni; increase receipts for Foundation
6. Increase members’ visibility in events.
STATUS REPORT ON KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
1. Increase revenue from non-government membership sources
a. Non-Government Membership
Our membership solicitation drive is ongoing and as a result non-
government membership from the allied and carrier categories, as at the
end of July, has surpassed total membership in those categories for 2013.
At the end of July we have 5 carrier members and 49 Allied Members of
which 23 are new Allied Members. The membership in the travel agency
category has fallen off. However, our records indicate that we have
collected $45,350 from non-government members, which surpasses our
target or the year by over $10,000.
b. Strategic Partnerships
We hope to embark upon Strategic Partnership relationships that will be of
mutual benefits to the organization and the strategic partners. We received
a pledge of $20,000 from American Express, which has continued to
support the educational, human resource development and promotional
efforts of the organization over the years.
Our total revenue from Non-Government membership sources to date is
$65,350.
25
2. Secure sponsorship funding for consumer and trade events
a. Caribbean Week, New York:
The major event at which this funding is secured is Caribbean Week in
New York and a significant amount of time was devoted to this activity in
a still sluggish economy. Although we had little success securing funds for
some of the activities during Caribbean Week, we were able to attract
significant media exposure for the Region at no cost to the Organization.
By our best estimate, the media exposure is valued at approximately one
million dollars from the following relationships:
USA Today – a partnership valued at $125,000 which spanned a full
month of national exposure and included a value added sweepstakes which
ran for an additional month after Caribbean Week.
Travel+Leisure – a partnership which was valued at $75,000 in publicity
and $15,000 sponsorship, providing the region with access to millions of
hi-income consumers in print, online and to American express cardholders
to whom Rum and Rhythm was promoted.
LocalBozo, a celebrity medium with daily interviews, red carpet
happenings, restaurant and bar reviews, original lifestyle pieces, and
upcoming events. LocalBozo signed up as a media partner of Caribbean
Week and provided updates and teasers to their readership for months
before the event.
New York Magazine – our Media partner for the chefs program provided
a partnership valued at $15,000.
Vector Media – package was valued at $15,000 in the form of a wrapped
bus that traversed New York City stopping at popular spots in the city
during Caribbean Week.
Vector Media added value by engaging their social media team in our
promotion which led to a significant spike in the number of followers and
tweets as reflected in our report on Social Media.
Fox’s Good Day New York featured the Twin Sister chefs from Jamaica
in one of their morning segments.
26
b. Caribbean Week Toronto:
Caribbean Week Toronto usually does not garner sponsorship support. We
believe that is this because the Caribbean Tourism Organization is not as
well known in the market as it should be. Absence of marketing funding
makes it difficult to get the brand message out. We hope that working with
strategic partners in the market who have a vested interest in the region and
are willing to work with us in the same manner as the media in New York
will prove successful. We also encourage members to invest more in this
market that still holds great potential for business to the region.
c. Consumer Events:
In every case the consumer events in which we participated carried no cost,
but we were able to bring value to the members by providing exposure for
them under the regional umbrella. These events included Earth Day and a
series of shows at Tory Birch high-end stores.
d. Trade shows:
We participated in a number of Travel Trade Shows in secondary markets
that rarely see the Caribbean to enthusiastic response from the travel
agents in attendance. We also coordinated the participation of 3 member
countries at WTM Latin America.
In the time frame under reference we have raised sufficient funds to defray all
expenses associated with the coordination of members’ participation at trade
and consumer events.
3. Increase private sector membership
The drive to increase non-government members is ongoing and the results
in the Allied and carrier – mostly airline – categories are most
encouraging.
So far this year, we have added twenty-three (23) new non-government
Allied Members and we are continuing to follow up on membership
solicitations we have distributed.
We are continuing to work with the travel agency members to increase
their numbers and grow the Chapter system. We are utilizing a new
database that shows a significant increase in the responses to webinars and
we will continue to encourage those travel agents to become Chapter
members. We are encouraged by members’ use of the webinar tool that is
available to them on a complimentary basis and the fact that the calendar is
full for the rest of the year.
27
4. Increase net revenue from special events and Conferences There was no Conference on Sustainable Tourism Development this year.
Instead we collaborated with the Centre for Responsible Travel (CREST)
on the 3rd
Symposium for Innovators in Coastal Tourism. The very strong
content of the conference was presented by a roster of international experts
and had significant value to the member countries, many of which are
islands and could benefit from the information that was being shared. This
event was not a financial success but it provided exposure for the host
country, Grenada.
Caribbean Week, as reported earlier, generated significant exposure for the
region and broke even. With earlier planning and commitment by
members, next year’s events should provide net income for the
Organization.
5. Utilize CTO Foundation alumni; Increase receipts for the Foundation
Working in concert with the HR department, we reached out to the alumni of
the CTO Foundation. The response was not as robust as anticipated but we
will continue the effort, which raised $550 from 2 alumni.
From other initiatives, including a contribution from Interval International,
the Auction at Rum and Rhythm, pledges during Caribbean Week and other
donations, we raised an additional $45,000. The pledges have been invoiced
and we expect to collect within the next weeks.
A major effort to raise funds in collaboration with the CHTA Education
Foundation is being discussed and will be reported on in the Work Plan and
subsequent reports.
6. Increase members’ visibility in events
A critical part of our responsibilities is to provide membership services.
That responsibility is fulfilled in several ways. One way is to provide
increased visibility for our members at various events. At major trade and
consumer shows in the Americas we coordinate the members’ participation
with show organizers, but also provide them with the support services, and
defer opportunities for interviews and exposure to them, as appropriate. In
the reporting period, we coordinated participation at WTM Latin America,
and Travel Trade Shows in secondary markets in upstate New York that we
had not visited as a region for a long time.
28
We also participated in Earth Day and the Tory Birch shows on behalf of the
members, for the first time; and also for the first time, took the Caribbean to
Ottawa, Canada where we made a presentation to 68 travel agents who
appreciated that several Caribbean destinations visited their city and they
were able to learn about so many more at the presentation on Watersports
that was delivered to them.
Of Note:
We are continuing to work on an Investment Day, Industry Luncheon and
Rum and Rhythm events which were postponed from the June week of
activities. The dates are October 28 and 29 and we look forward to having
the full participation of government members at these events.
We have identified October 23 as the date for a joint fund-raising event in
New York City to benefit the CTO and CHTA foundations. More details
will be made available in the Departmental Report.
We continue to negotiate cost and location on behalf of our members and
coordinate participation in Trade and Consumer events, including the Boston
Globe Travel Show, Ultimate Travel Show in Toronto, Travel and
Adventure Shows across the United States, and the Ultimate Travel Show in
Toronto.
Work is ongoing on our effort to represent the Caribbean, in collaboration
with CARICOM, at the JATA Tourism Expo in Japan, September 25-27,
2014.
We are also continuing work on the reprint of the Caribbean Travel Guide
and a Guide to disable-friendly places in the Caribbean, and we continue to
respond to inquiries from CaribbeanTravel.com.
7. What we Need
- Early approval of projects to be undertaken.
- Less lag time in response from Members to participate in CTO-organized
activities.
- Clear guidance on activities we should engage in on your behalf.
- More member input in events planning.
MARKETING – UK & EUROPE
29
UK & Europe Report
April – July 2014
Mission:
To increase positive awareness of the Caribbean tourism product in the UK and
Europe in order to strengthen and grow membership in the CTO.
Performance Indicators for 2014
Increase stakeholders support across UK & Europe to facilitate
participation in 30 trade and consumer events.
Increase the network of tour operators selling the Caribbean by 10%.
Increase subscribers to Caribbean Travel Guru by 50%.
Grow UK Chapter membership to 95 members.
Increase social media interaction with the European demographic by
40%.
Generate trade and media business opportunities in five new and
emerging markets.
Generate 20 media programmes - building opportunities across Europe.
Create 10 business opportunities for the Caribbean in the MICE market
across UK & Europe.
STATUS REPORT
TRADE AND CONSUMER EVENTS THE UK
Experience Latin America 16- 18 June
The CTO took part in the Experience Latin America event organised by LATA
on the 16-18 June in Canary Wharf. This is a new B2B travel event bringing
together key suppliers from Latin America with buyers from the UK and
Europe. There were a mixture of buyers ranging from tour operators, travel
agents and a few media. Over 20 meeting appointments held with the CTO.
Carol Hay presented on a cruise panel on the topic ‘The impact of cruise and its
importance to the Caribbean region’.
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ABTA Travel Matters, 18 June 2014
The CTO attended the ABTA Travel Matters event at London. The conference
provided delegates with the latest news from Westminster, Brussels and the
industry, as well as providing a forum for debating the key policy matters and
current issues affecting travel.
The theme of this year’s conference was Targeting Growth, 2015 and Beyond,
focusing on two major industry influences: economic growth and the
opportunities that 2015 presents. The CTO delegation that attended the event
was Director of Marketing UK & Europe, Carol Hay, and Director of
Resources, Mobilisation and Development, Bonita Morgan.
Caribbean Ball 26 June
Over 260 guests attended the CTO Caribbean Ball at the Millennium Hotel
London Mayfair in London on 26 June. The main sponsors for the evening
included Virgin Holidays, Travel Weekly and TravelMole. A total of £4,503
was raised on the night from the Silent Auction and Raffle for the Caribbean
Tourism Organization Scholarship Foundation.
TRADE AND CONSUMER EVENTS IN EUROPE AND
EMERGING MARKETS
Meeting in Brussels, 23-24 June 2014
In June, Carol Hay, CTO Director of Marketing and Bonita Morgan, CTO
Director of Resources Mobilisation and Development attended meetings with
key ACP and EU delegates including ACP Business Climate Project, Mr
M’Hamed Cherif, CEO; Mr Paulo Salesi Kautoke – Assistant Secretary General
– Macroeconomics, Development Finance and Intra ACP Programming; Mr.
Bagnenou Lamien, Expert in charge of Global Economics, Financial matters
and Macro-Economic and Budget Support; Mr Pierre Dirlewanger – DG
Regional Urban Policy & European Territorial Co-operation; and John
Caloghirou – Head of Division, Caribbean, European External Action Service.
The CTO also met with CARIFORUM Ambassadors and Director of Marketing
presented CTO activities across the UK & Europe.
Arabian Travel Market – 05-08 May 2014
The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) participated, for the first time, at
Arabian Travel Market, Dubai from 05-08 May 2014. The CTO stand was
shared by Barceló Hotels & Resorts.
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The CTO was overwhelmed with the level of interest shown in the Caribbean
region, by visitors to the show; over 100 meetings and discussions took place,
with tour operators, travel agents and media from the UAE, India, Singapore
and China. The CTO shared information on the Caribbean region and
distributed its many publications, including the Guide to the Caribbean.
Barceló Hotels & Resorts showcased their Caribbean properties, which were of
great interest to the attending delegates.
During the show, Carol Hay was on a panel at the Cruise seminar entitled
‘Global Cruise Trends… Tailoring cruise vacations to suit every taste’. The
Director showcased the Caribbean region, displaying how popular the region is
for cruise visitors and how the region remains competitive.
CTO Director of Marketing UK & Europe also attended and presented an award
at the Royal Caribbean ME Travel Trade Awards. This is an annual event,
which commends and rewards local tour operators and travel agents, for their
business performance. CTO Director presented two awards for the best sales
performance for the Caribbean region. These opportunities increased the
Caribbean’s exposure in the Middle East and in turn created interest from the
local media.
The Caribbean region was well received at Arabian Travel Market and
discussions were held with key local tourism professionals and companies,
including Etihad Airlines and Emirates Airlines.
CTO Advisory Council Meeting, 26 May
On 26 May 2014 a CTO Dutch Advisory Council Meeting was organised at the
office of Trav Magazine in Hilversum. In total eight members attended the
meeting including CTO Director of Marketing UK & Europe, Carol Hay;
representatives from the Jamaica Tourist Board, airberlin, KEIS&Caribbean and
TravMedia. The Advisory reviewed marketing opportunities for the remainder
of 2014 and 2015.
TOUR OPERATORS
Tour Operator Lunch, 8 July
A CTO UK Chapter tour operator roundtable was held in London and tour
operators reviewed CTO activities and discussed current business and market
trends. Companies included: BA Holidays; Tropical Sky; Newmont Travel; SN
Travel and The Holiday Place. The tour operators recommended more online
marketing opportunities with CTO’s database of over 50,000 listings, and
general increase in social media activities among the membership.
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AGENTS TRAINING - UK
Caribbean Travel Guru Easter Competition, April 2014
During the month of April, the CTO ran a campaign to increase the number of
agents on Caribbean Travel Guru. Agents who signed up to the programme
within the month of April were placed in a prize draw to win deluxe Easter
eggs. Agents who completed the modules and logged their Caribbean bookings
were also placed in a draw to win a place on the CTO Courses in the Caribbean
fam trip. 62 agents registered on Caribbean Travel Guru in April. The campaign
was promoted via Twitter, CTO newsletter, Travel Uni newsletter, Selling Long
Haul and Travel Weekly. Ongoing strategies are in place to increase the number
of agents.
Agents Training, 21 May
The CTO attended a Thomas Cook training event at Mansion House, London on
21 May. The event was attended by 15 agents including Cluster managers and
reservations staff. This was a great opportunity for the CTO to promote
Caribbean Travel Guru training programme as well as educate agents on what
the Caribbean has to offer. Each agent was given a copy of the Caribbean
Travel Fax and nine enrolled on Caribbean Travel Guru.
Courses in the Caribbean Fam trip, 17-24 July
The Caribbean Tourism Organization in conjunction with the Anguilla Tourist
Board, Antigua & Barbuda Tourism Authority and British Airways hosted 10
enthusiastic travel agents in the Courses in the Caribbean Fam Trip which took
place in Anguilla and Antigua & Barbuda from 17 – 24 July.
The Verandah Resort and Spa and St. James’s Club hosted the group during
their 4 nights stay in Antigua. There were many opportunities to experience
exciting activities in Antigua including site inspections, swimming with
Stingrays, shopping in St. Johns, Shirley’s Heights Sunset Barbeque Party and
much more.
The group also spent three nights in Anguilla Staying at Viceroy Hotel and
Cuisinart Golf Resort and Spa. The itinerary of activities included site
inspections, a sunset cruise, dining at Smokey’s and Dolce Vita, island tour,
shopping and more.
The Courses in the Caribbean Fam Trip offered the opportunity for the agents to
meet with local operators and hoteliers. All agents completed a Courses in the
Caribbean Workbook, throughout the duration of the trip and received a
Certificate of Participation which was presented by Candis Niles, Director of
Tourism of Anguilla. The agents shared valuable feedback to improve the
learnings from this programme.
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AGENTS TRAINING – EUROPE
Training sessions - July
The CTO has launched a programme of training sessions in Paris for travel
agents and reservations staff of tour operators. These free half-day training
sessions took place at Interface Tourism Offices on the 1 and 8 July. Each
destination was given one hour and fifteen minutes to present their product to
the agents.
Members who have taken advantage of this included Dominica, St. Vincent,
Saint Lucia, Barbados, the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands. A total
of 31 agents attended the sessions. Plans are in place to implement further
training sessions with other destination members. This is excellent support
from the CTO’s representative Interface Tourism.
UK CHAPTER MEMBERSHIP
The UK Chapter membership currently stands at 90. Two new companies have
signed up to the Chapter: Cruise Line International Association (CLIA) and
Hotel la Pagerie, Martinique. This collaboration with CLIA will enable the
Caribbean to encourage greater co-operation between our diverse members.
ONLINE AND SOCIAL MEDIA ACTIVITIES
Newsletters
Two bi-monthly CTO Agents newsletters were distributed to over 1,150 travel
agents, homeworkers and tour operators’ reservations staff in the UK. The
newsletter is a cost effective way for CTO members to keep agents updated on
their products and trade activities.
In Germany, four newsletters were distributed in the second quarter to over
6,100 subscribers. In France, four newsletters were produced and circulated to
6,000 subscribers. In Italy, the newsletter was emailed to 7,400 subscribers
including tour operators, travel agencies and consumers; Spain 2,300 and
Holland 14,100 subscribers.
Online Competitions
One competition was hosted on the CTO German website www.karibik-info.de
within the last quarter in conjunction with AM Resorts for a 7-night stay in
four-star Sunscape Resort, Spa & Casino in Curaçao. The competition received
1,622 entries; with 42.3% subscribed for the CTO’s e-newsletter and 27.5%
requested additional information on the AM Resorts’ products. Another
competition is due to launch soon in cooperation with Sandals Resorts.
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An online holiday competition was held for a three month period, 14 April – 14
July on the UK website www.caribbean.co.uk. The prize included an all-
inclusive 7-nights holiday for two people in Cuba, staying at Iberostar Tainos
on Varadero Beach courtesy of UK Tour operator, The Holiday Place. In total
there was 44,125 entries with 30,922 third party opt ins. The competition was
promoted through social media as well as a run-of-site banner advert on The
Telegraph website.
Social Media Campaign - June
A social media promotion on ‘Love Caribbean’ Facebook page took place
during the month of June. The campaign generated followers on ‘Love
Caribbean’ are now at 1,397 fans; which is 89.2% increase from 1 June, 2014
(722). Plans are in place for further Facebook promotions and competitions
during Caribbean Month in September. Love Caribbean Twitter followers are at
724.
From the end of June, CTO Chapter Holland commenced a Facebook campaign
in order to raise the number of likes on the Caribbean4u page. The number of
likes is now at 1,069, an increase from 500 likes. The campaign is extended
until the end of August and the goal is to reach 1,250 likes.
PR & MEDIA ACTIVITIES
Media Coverage
Between April to July, 32 pieces of coverage on the Caribbean region. UK PR
agency Four BGB generated media coverage for the CTO with a total
opportunity to see circulation and monthly unique users of 4,100,857 and an
advertising equivalent value of £100,650.
Crisis Media Training with Jeremy Skidmore 14 May
Two national tourist office members and two commercial members joined the
CTO London staff in a bespoke Crisis Media Training with Jeremy Skidmore,
one of the UK’s leading media trainers. The day’s training sessions included
filming and interview techniques with constructive feedback on content,
performance and body language. The feedback from members is that the level
of training is invaluable in developing skills and increasing confidence in
working with the media.
Meet the Media, 10 June
A Meet the Media event was held at the London venue 28 Portland Place on 10
June; and a total of 33 key media including bloggers met with 23 UK Chapter
members ranging from NTOs, airlines, tour operators, hotels and cruise
companies. Events such as these allow members to increase their media contacts
and target key media.
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PUBLICATIONS
The CTO Chapter Holland met the Dutch publisher of English travel guides, ‘In
Your Pocket’. They published a free travel guide about the Dutch Caribbean
(Curaçao/Bonaire/Aruba/St Maarten/ Saba/St Eustatius) in cooperation with the
Curaçao Tourist Board Europe. CTO Chapter Holland received 250 print copies
of the travel guide for its own use. A total of 50, 000 copies were printed.
‘In Your Pocket’ is interested in publishing more guides about other Caribbean
destinations. They request a minimum of 2 flight tickets and support with
accommodation and other tips about the destination that can be included in the
guide. In return advertisements can be placed in the travel guide.
COMMUNICATIONS
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REPORT OF THE COMMUNICATIONS DIVISION
APRIL 2014 TO JULY 2014
The Communications Division’s Mission (to the end of 2014):
To create a regional corporate communications strategy in order to
strengthen and grow membership in the CTO.
The Division’s Key Performance Indicators (to the end of 2014):
Establish an integrated approach to the CTO’s global corporate
communications efforts
Create a brand management policy for the CTO
Maintain and enhance the CTO's reputation as the leading authority on
Caribbean tourism matters
Develop and implement a comprehensive Social Media Management
strategy
Support the CTO's Corporate Social Responsibility strategy
Expand the Diaspora programme
The tactics include, but are not limited to:
Creating a regional tourism public relations alliance; conducting at least two
journalism workshops; hosting a social media event for Caribbean youth interested in
tourism; securing print, broadcast & online media opportunities; continuing to
distribute media releases in multiple languages on behalf of members; continuously
seeking new media partners to expand the CTO's media network; drafting a social
media policy; producing six episodes of Destination Caribbean and supporting
national Diaspora marketing programmes and initiatives.
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During the reporting period, the communications division launched the Caribbean
Tourism Public Relations Alliance. The purpose of this alliance is to share
information and best practices among CTO member countries in a manner that will
ensure that we are better positioned to help share information and communicate in a
timely manner in the event of a crisis. The communications/PR officers within the
ministries of tourism/tourism boards in the eight CTO Member Countries participated
in the initial meeting held via Go To Meetings.
The communications specialist also introduced 10 additional journalists, including one
vlogger, an online writer and two bloggers, to the CTO, its programmes and member
countries. Meetings were held with these writers, with all but one subsequently
writing about CTO events and some member countries. One has since travelled to
Grenada and provided excellent coverage of the 3rd
Symposium for Innovators in
Coastal Tourism which was held there in July.
Other Major Activities included:
Conducted a media skills workshop for nearly 25 participants in St.
Eustatius
Prepared Communication/PR Plan to support St. Eustatius’s
sustainable conference
Contributed to the development of the programme for St. Eustatius’s
sustainable conference
Successfully managed the CTO Media Awards programme in New
York and Toronto. Six awards were presented in each case
Delivered presentation on how to communicate effectively about the
chikungunya virus to member country representatives during
Caribbean Week in New York and Toronto
Coordinated media for, as well as provided coverage of, the 3rd
Symposium for Innovators in Coastal Tourism in Grenada. Through
the CTO’s efforts, media from major trade publication, TravelMole,
and CUNY Television/Voices of New York, as well as MSNBC’s
TheGrio.com, covered the event. Stories produced by the
communications specialist were picked up by major news agencies
and trade publications, including the Caribbean News Agency,
China’s Xinhua News Agency, The Associated Press and
eTurboNews
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Successfully produced a TV programme on the impact of taxes on
travel to and through the Caribbean. Liat’s new CEO, David Evans,
made his first public appearance on the show, 10 days after his
appointment. Approximately 6,200 followed updates on Facebook,
there were 70 retweets and some 6,800 impressions on LinkedIn. The
programme was aired in 22 Caribbean countries
Distributed press releases on behalf of nine member countries, with
Curacao the latest to request and receive this service
Secured coverage in several trade publications for member countries,
including Canada’s Ensemble Vacations (Top 10 festivals) and Brides
Magazine (Honeymoon Destinations)
Sourced and shared industry trends with member countries
Monthly increases in awareness of the CTO and member countries via
social media. Both Facebook (4,600 likes) & Twitter (6,400
followers) have recorded an approximately eight per cent rise over the
previous quarter, while LinkedIn (1,650 followers) was up about 10
per cent
Conclusion
The CTO, through its communications division, continues to be a major resource for
its members. Our social media drive and our extensive media database and contacts
provide an excellent opportunity for members to extend the reach of their messages.
The expertise of the communications team is also available to members in areas
ranging from improving your PowerPoint presentations to training in various
disciplines. Members are encouraged to take advantage of these opportunities.
SUSTAINABLE TOURISM
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REPORT OF THE SUSTAINABLE TOURISM DEPARTMENT
MAY 2014 TO JULY 2014
The Sustainable Tourism (ST) Department’s 2014 Mission Statement:
To champion sustainable tourism development in the Caribbean towards a
viable, resilient and high quality tourism sector in order to strengthen and
grow CTO membership.
The ST Department’s Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) until the end of 2014
are the following:
1. Support the implementation of the regional sustainable tourism product
development strategies to foster inter-sectoral linkages.
2. Enhance awareness of key sustainable tourism development issues and the
capacity to address them.
3. Strengthen relationships with key organizations to jointly address critical
sustainable tourism issues.
Status Report regarding the Key Performance Indicators:
At the time of writing this Report, the following represents the status of
accomplishment of the Department’s Key Performance Indicators:
1. Support the implementation of the regional sustainable tourism product
development
strategies to foster inter-sectoral linkages.
Food and Agro Tourism
The CTO and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA)
signed an MOU to strengthen linkages between tourism and agriculture on 5th
June.
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The areas of cooperation include trade and investment partnerships along the
tourism value chain; food and agro-eco tourism; community-based tourism; health
and wellness and spa tourism and culture and heritage tourism as it relates to
agriculture and rural sites and associated events, attractions and products. Some of
the specific areas covered under the MOU include: strengthening of the
institutional and policy framework to facilitate advocacy and joint promotion of
trade linkages and investments between agriculture and tourism; knowledge
management and information sharing on trends, success stories, best practices and
lessons learned in agrotourism development; training and capacity building of
stakeholders in the agriculture-tourism value chain; inclusion of agrotourism sites
and attractions in product development programmes of the CTO and regional
destination marketing; and collaboration on studies quantifying the contribution of
agriculture to tourism and vice versa. Discussions are ongoing between IICA and
the CTO to identify specific initiatives for collaboration for project proposal
development.
Experiential Tourism and Voluntourism
“Experiential tourism is an outgrowth of a global movement toward experiential
learning, whereby people create meaning through direct experience.” The
Canadian Tourism Commission defines experiential tourism as “travel that
engages travellers in a series of memorable events, that are revealed over time, are
inherently personal, involve the senses, and make a connection on an emotional,
physical, spiritual or intellectual level.” It incorporates a number of categories
including: cultural tourism, ecotourism, educational travel, experimental tourism,
heritage tourism and nature tourism. Baseline research has been conducted towards
the development of guidelines for developing experiential tourism products in
Caribbean destinations.
Baseline research has also been conducted towards the development of a
framework to help guide voluntourism in interested Caribbean destinations.
Voluntourism combines traditional travel with volunteer work.
Tourism and Health, Safety and the Environment
The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), the Caribbean Public Health Agency
(CARPHA) and the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA) signed an
MOU on 5th June to create a partnership to establish and promote health and safety
protocols and practices in the tourism industry in the region.
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Through the MOU, the three organizations will collaborate in the following areas:
food and environmental safety training and certification; public health information,
monitoring and response systems for hotels and cruise ships to provide timely alert
and a rapid coordinated response to adverse health, safety and environmental
issues; health, safety and environmental standards certification and recognition
systems to improve the health, safety and environmental quality in the tourism
workplace; health and wellness programmes to encourage and promote a healthy
tourism workforce; awareness raising and promotion of multisectoral and
multiagency approaches to address the health, safety and environmental issues
associated with tourism; and partnerships, networks and business strategies for
sustainability of the tourism and health programme. The agreement is for an initial
two year period.
This partnership will first manifest itself in the implementation of a targeted
regional health, safety and environmental management for tourism programme. Dr
Linda Vrbova, an epidemiologist from the Public Health Agency of Canada with
experience in designing surveillance systems, has been contracted by CARPHA to
provide technical assistance. She will assist CARPHA with the development of the
draft regional guidelines/protocol for dealing with illnesses and other negative
events (health safety and security issues) on cruise ships and a hotel based
surveillance system. Additionally, during Caribbean Week, New York, Dr. Lisa
Indar of CARPHA conducted a session on how to communicate effectively
regarding the Chikungunya virus.
2. Enhance awareness of key sustainable tourism development issues and
the capacity to address them.
Sustainable Tourism Mainstreaming and Monitoring Further to the March 27
th launch of the “Sustainable Destinations Alliance for the
Americas” was launched at the CTO’s Headquarters in Barbados, calls for
applications for pilot countries from the Caribbean and Central America for the
Sustainable Destination Management programme of the Sustainable Destinations
Alliance for the Americas (SDAA) were issued in the June-July period. This is the
first-ever large-scale multi-sector initiative for sustainable tourism destinations in
the Caribbean and Latin American regions. Its goal is to improve Caribbean and
Central America tourism destination management and global competitiveness by
embedding sustainability into destination management, marketing and product
development. The programme will be hinged on four main elements:
1. Destination sustainability assessments
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2. Sustainability performance monitoring tool
3. Quick win sustainable tourism projects
4. Training in and sharing of sustainability good practices
The applications received were initially evaluated by an Evaluation Committee
comprising representatives of the Alliance partners – the CTO, OAS, Central
American Tourism Integration System (SITCA) and Royal Caribbean Cruises
Limited (RCCL). However, at the time of writing this Report, the CTO was
notified that the donor agency had requested that applications be resubmitted with
further details. The resubmitted applications are being re-evaluated by the
Committee. Once final approval is received from the donor, the pilot countries will
be notified and an announcement of the selected pilot destinations will be made.
Review of Environmental Management and Certification Systems As part of the Consultancy on Environmental Management Certification Systems,
a Stakeholders’ Forum was held to discuss the Draft Analytical Report prepared by
the consulting firm. This Forum was held on 29 May, 2014 in Barbados to provide
feedback and input for incorporation into the Final Report. The CTO is part of the
Working Committee tasked with reviewing the status of a programme developed to
address issues relating to Environmental Management Systems and Certification in
the Caribbean for tourism entities. The recommendations contained in the Report
are being reviewed with a view towards determining the next steps at the regional
level.
Sustainable Tourism Capacity Building The Third Symposium for Innovators in Coastal Tourism which was organized in
collaboration with Grenada’s tourism authorities, the Grenada Hotel and Tourism
Association and the Center for Responsible Travel, was successfully held from 9 -
11 July at St. George’s University in Grenada. The Symposium sessions included
plenary sessions, a roundtable, a film session and 14 workshops as follows:
1. Building Symbiotic Relationships between Sustainable Coastal Tourism,
Marine Protected Areas and Commercial Fishing
2. Travellers’ Philanthropy
3. Impacts and Innovations/Eco-Certification in Large Beach Resort
Operations
4. Responsible Coastal and Marine Recreation
5. Cruise Tourism: Impacts and Innovations
6. Linking Sustainable Tourism to Local Industries (Agriculture, Fisheries,
Handicrafts)
7. Creating Sustainable Coastal Destinations
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8. Greening Spas
9. Golf Courses and Marinas: Impacts and Innovations
10. Certification and Best Practices for Coastal and Island Tourism
11. Marketing and Branding Sustainable Tourism: Communicating Your
Message
12. Community Engagement and Coastal Tourism
13. Boutique Beach resorts: Innovations and Eco-Certifications
14. Best Practices for Beach and Shoreline Protection
The Symposium proceedings can be accessed via:
http://www.onecaribbean.org/events-calendar/cto-crest-symposium-2014/.
In an effort to enhance the awareness of sustainable tourism issues and possible
solutions, webinars on various topics continue to be offered to CTO members. For
2014, the webinars conducted thus far include the following:
Global Sustainable Tourism Council’s Destination Partners Program
Harness the Power of Travel and Tourism
Sustainability Management Toolkit
Past webinar recordings are available via: www.sustainabletravel.org,
http://vimeo.com/channels/344557/videos and http://rttf.ca/webinars/. The RTTF
webinar series takes place in the last quarter of the year. Topics of interest for
webinars can be communicated to the Sustainable Tourism Product Specialist.
The following finalists for the CTO-TravelMole Caribbean Excellence in
Sustainable Tourism (CEST) Awards competition for 2014 were announced at the
Caribbean Week Media Conference in New York in June:
Destination Stewardship Award:
• Rewa Village (Guyana)
• Ministry of Tourism and International Transport (St. Kitts)
Sustainable Accommodation Award:
• Hamanasi Adventure and Dive Resort (Belize)
• Rosalie Bay Resort (Dominica)
• Xanadu Island Resort (Belize)
Community Benefit Award:
• Belmont Plantation Company/Belmont Estate (Grenada)
• Tryall Club and Villas (Jamaica)
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Heritage Preservation:
• Jost Van Dykes Preservation Society (BVI)
• Turks and Caicos National Trust (TCI)
Biodiversity Conservation Award:
• Atlantis Submarines (Barbados)
• Guana Island Hotel (BVI)
Caribbean Excellence in Sustainable Tourism Award:
• Compass Point Dive Resort (Cayman Islands)
• Puerto Rico Tourism Company
The winners will be announced at the CEST Awards Ceremony which will be held
at the CTO’s State of the Industry Conference in the U.S. Virgin Islands in
September, 2014.
Additionally, a regional sustainable tourism product development workshop which
will highlight Singapore’s experiences in this area is being planned for later this
year. Dates are also to be set for a regional sustainable tourism marketing
workshop.
Promoting Energy Efficiency Detailed technical proposals from short-listed consultancy firms were reviewed
and evaluated to select a consultancy firm to provide technical services to the
project. After the IDB’s no-objection was received for the ranking of the evaluated
firms, the financial proposals were also evaluated and a recommendation made to
the IDB. The IDB’s no-objection for the combined technical and financial
evaluation report was being awaited at the time of writing this Report.
3. Strengthen relationships with key organizations to jointly address
critical sustainable tourism issues.
Relationships were formalized between the CTO and CARPHA as well as IICA for
joint cooperation on addressing health, safety, environment and agriculture-related
issues in relation to Caribbean tourism.
The relationships between the CTO, Sustainable Travel International (STI), the
Organization of American States Secretariat (OAS), Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.
(RCCL) and the Secretariat for Central America Tourism Integration (SITCA) are
being strengthened through joint implementation of the Sustainable Destinations
Alliance for the Americas initiative which focuses on enhancing sustainable
destination management in the region.
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Partnerships have been developed or are also being enhanced with other
organizations involved in various aspects of tourism sustainability and sustainable
development such as TravelMole, the Association of Caribbean States,
CARICOM Climate Change Centre (CCCCC) CROSQ, the CARIBSAVE
Partnership, OECS, the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, Responsible Travel
and Tourism Forum, World Travel & Tourism Council, UNWTO, UNEP, IUCN,
The Nature Conservancy, National Geographic, The Adventure Travel Trade
Association, The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), regional and
international universities, and a range of donor agencies including the EU, CDB,
IDB, CaribExport and the CARICOM Secretariat.
MEMBERSHIP SERVICES
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Membership Services Department
September 2014 Board Report
Membership Services Department Mission:
To deliver high quality services to a diverse membership in order to strengthen and
grow membership in the CTO.
The Department’s 2014 Key Performance Indicators:
Introduce a systematic process of tracking and analyzing Member
satisfaction
Improve Member perception of the quality and relevance of CTO
services and benefits
Increase the collection of Membership Dues & Regional Marketing Fund
payments
Retain 100% of members in good financial standing
Increase non-government membership by 15% by December 2014
Introduce a systematic process of tracking and analyzing Member satisfaction
An annual Member Satisfaction Survey will be introduced in the fourth quarter of
2014. In the interim, satisfaction measurement criteria will be developed and the
assessment process finalized.
Improve Member perception of the quality and relevance of CTO services and
benefits
Up to July 31st, eight (8) Country Visits were completed, three (3) of which were
repeat visits. The need for repeat visits resulted from the appointment of either a
new Minister or a new Director. During each visit, the CTO programming and
services were presented, as we all as the specific requirements of the individual
member documented, and associated next steps identified.
The second edition of the Priorities Assessment Survey was completed in June.
70% of members responded within the initial deadline, while special provision was
made for two (2) additional members to submit their feedback after the deadline.
The level of response remained consistent with last year, but an even more
encouraging factor was the number of respondents that offered feedback on what
programmes or activities they wanted to see a focus on. 57% of the Survey
respondents submitted recommendations for review. The survey results were
complied, discussed and incorporated in the 2015 Work Plans, where possible.
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Increase the collection of Membership Dues & Regional Marketing Fund
payments
Below is a summary of the Organization’s position with respect to the collection of
Dues and RMF payments for the reporting period ending July 31, 2014:
57% of members had paid their 2013 dues in full compared to 60% having
paid their 2012 dues at July 2013. It must be stated that two of those
members clearing their balances for 2013, were still carrying Dues arrears
for 2011 and 2012.
27% of members had paid their 2014 Dues in full, up from 23% at the same
point last year
37% of members had paid part of 2014 Dues
37% of members had paid off their RMF arrears; this is compared to 10% at
July 2013.
A total of eight (8) payment plans have been requested and submitted for
review; however only three (3) plans were agreed at July 2014. This is
compared to one plan at July 2013.
The summary above highlights the fact that there is still considerable work to be
completed on closing the gap between the amount owed by members and what is
collected, at approximately half of the year. Efforts continue, in parallel with those
of the Secretary General and the Finance Department, to impress upon the
membership the importance of timely payments of Dues in order for the
Organization to be able to effectively execute the planned programming for the
year.
Retain 100% of members in good financial standing
Between the last reporting period and this one, we have retained all 30 members in
the Organization, albeit, at varying levels of financial standing. 50% of members
were in good financial standing at July 2014, compared to 57% at July 2013. Two
(2) members that were in good financial standing last year are now no longer in
that category.
Increase non-government membership by 15% by December 2014
At July 31st, total non-government membership stood at 256 members across the
US, UK and European markets.
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There were 152 Non-Government Members that would have joined the CTO
through the US Office, of these, 98 were Travel Agent Members. 23 of the total
number were new to the CTO. The figure of 152 represents a decline of more than
50% from the same period last year. The decline in membership this year is
attributable to a significant reduction in the Travel Agent Members. The
underlying reason for this decline is being investigated with a view to developing
an action plan to address it.
On a positive note, the combination of all other Non-government members at July
was 54. This exceeds the total number for the same period last year by 22%.
There were 88 UK Chapter members at July 31st, 69 of who were from the private
sector, while the other 19 were National Tourist Offices. There were 16 members
in the Holland Chapter, 8 of who were representatives of CTO Member countries.
RESOURCE MOBILIZATION
&
DEVELOPMENT
49
REPORT OF THE RESOURCE MOBILIZATION & DEVELOPMENT
DEPARTMENT
MAY TO JULY 2014
The Department’s Mission Statement:
To mobilize resources for the organization and initiate professional development
and programme activities to address the human resource development needs of the
sector in order to strengthen and grow membership in the CTO.
2014 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
1. Raise US$500,000 in new donor/aid funding
2. Build relationships by meeting with key donors/development agencies and regional
organizations
3. Create and maintain a database of key contacts with respect to donor/aid agencies,
regional entities and other relevant organizations involved in tourism and tourism-
related areas
4. Create a matrix of donor/aid agencies and their key areas of funding support for
tourism and tourism-related areas and share with CTO members
5. Identify sources of funding available to Overseas Countries & Territories (OCTs),
Outermost Regions (ORs) and the Dutch Caribbean territories to allow them to
participate in donor funded programmes being implemented by the CTO
6. Expand the Hospitality Assured programme from 11 to 15 countries
7. Source funding to implement foreign language/cultural skills training programmes
for at least 100 persons in 7-10 pilot countries
8. Conduct workshop for a minimum of 100 teachers to enhance their teaching of
tourism at the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) level
9. Organize and implement the CTO Tourism Human Resources conference in
Tobago in October
10. Raise US$10,000 from CTO Foundation past beneficiaries
Status report regarding KPIs:
1. Raise US$500,000 in new donor/aid funding
During this period US$28,362.00 was secured from the CARTFund, managed by
the Caribbean Development Bank on behalf of the Grenada Hotel & Tourism
Association, to finance 5 new companies to participate in the Hospitality Assured
programme in Grenada.
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2. Build relationships with key donors/development agencies and regional
organizations
The following meetings were held during this period:
Director General of CARIFORUM Directorate in the CARICOM
Secretariat, Guyana, May 2
Head of United Nations Development Programme, Barbados office,
May 11
European Union Delegation to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean,
June 13
Meetings with various agencies in Brussels including: ACP Business
Climate Project (BizClim); ACP Secretariat; Regional Urban Policy &
European Territorial Co-operation; Caribbean, European External
Action Service; June 23 & 24
CARIFORUM Ambassadors in Brussels, June 24
There is an opportunity for the CTO to be able to access European Union funds for
tourism under the 11th EDF programme. This will involve lobbying at the
CARICOM Heads of Government level, working through Prime Minister Perry
Christie of the Bahamas, who is the spokesperson for tourism at the Heads of
Government level.
3. Create and maintain a database of key contacts with respect to donor/aid
agencies, regional entities and other relevant organizations involved in
tourism and tourism-related areas
A database has been developed. This listing will be shared with all members in the
first week in August.
4. Create a matrix of donor/aid agencies and their key areas of funding support
for tourism and tourism-related areas and share with CTO members
A matrix was created in 2013. This listing will be shared with all members in the
first week in August.
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5. Identify sources of funding available to Overseas Countries & Territories
(OCTs), Outermost Regions (ORs) and the Dutch Caribbean territories to
allow them to participate in donor funded programmes being implemented
by the CTO
As a result of the discussions in Brussels, two opportunities have been identified as
supporting the OCTs, ORs and Dutch Caribbean and these are:
(i) There is an opportunity to seek funding through the INTERREG
programme to support regional tourism activities, involving the French
Caribbean territories. CTO has to make contact with the Regional
Council in Guadeloupe which manages the INTERREG programme
(ii) The OCTs will be receiving country-specific funding under the 11th
EDF
and they can use this funding to engage in regional tourism projects.
6. Expand the Hospitality Assured programme from 11 to 15 countries
St. Kitts and Nevis is the only new country engaging in this programme for 2014
thus far, with 3 companies participating in Nevis. The British Virgin Islands
has indicated a strong level of interest and should begin the programme before
year end. Visits are still being planned for the Cayman Islands and the Turks
& Caicos Islands before year end. A project proposal was developed and
submitted to the Caribbean Development Bank in February 2014, to support
the Hospitality Assured programme. No positive feedback has been received
thus far despite follow up.
7. Source funding to implement foreign language/cultural skills training
programmes for at least 100 persons in 7-10 pilot countries
No progress made during this period.
8. Conduct workshop for a minimum of 100 teachers to enhance their teaching
of tourism at the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) level
It was communicated to the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) that the CTO
would be willing to conduct workshops in interested countries that want to offer
the CAPE Tourism subject from September 2014. No countries have
communicated their interest thus far through the CXC to the CTO.
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9. Organize and implement the CTO Tourism Human Resources Conference in
Tobago, in October
Planning is ongoing for the conference which takes place from October 29-31 in
Tobago.
10. Raise US$10,000 from CTO Foundation past beneficiaries
The amount raised was negligible thus far, but the appeal continues and a number
of persons have made pledges to be honoured in the future.
Other important activities during this period:
The CTO hosted a delegation from St. Martin at its headquarters in Barbados
on May 8, which included the Minister of Education, an official from the
Board of Tourism and a secondary school teacher. Information was shared
regarding tourism education in the schools in an effort to support St.
Martin’s efforts at promoting tourism education in their school system. A
visit was also organized for St. Martin to the Ministry of Tourism in
Barbados on May 9.
The department head was a speaker at the official launch of the Tourism
Curriculum at the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE)
level, organized by the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) in Barbados
on May 9. The Tourism Curriculum will be used from September 2014.
The department head participated in a stakeholders’ forum on Environmental
Management Certification Systems on May 29, in Barbados, hosted by the
CARICOM Secretariat, Regional Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA)
Unit. The forum was an opportunity to give feedback to the consultants
reviewing the various certification systems and recommendations for how
the region should deal with same.
The department participated in Caribbean Week in New York, from June 2-
6.
The department head participated in several activities in the U.K. including
the U.K.-Caribbean Trade and Investment Forum on June 17; an ABTA (the
Travel Association) Travel Matters Event on June 18; the CTO U.K. Ball
which raised approximately £4,500 for the CTO Foundation on June 26.
FINANCE
&
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
53
REPORT OF THE FINANCE & RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
DEPARTMENT
APRIL 23 TO AUGUST 8, 2014
The Finance & Resource Management Department’s Mission:
To enhance CTO’s financial stability and sustainability in order to strengthen
and grow membership in the CTO.
The Department’s Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
The Key Performance Indicators for 2014 are as follows:
1. 100% on time issuance of payment plans and collection procedures.
2. 50% reduction in membership dues arrears.
3. Increase in net operating cash flow.
4. Retention of members in good financial standing.
5. Enhanced use of technology for improved financial management across all
offices.
Status report
On January 12, 2014 a joint meeting of the CTO Council of Ministers and
Commissioners of Tourism and the CTO Board of Directors approved the change
of the CTO fee structure from a single tiered system with a single full suite of
services to a two tiered system with a basic level of services (including marketing)
and an optional gold level with premium services. In addition, this body also
approved the write-off of 75% of the arrears for the years 2007 to 2011 and a
change to the CTO constitution which mandates automatic revocation after two
years of arrears as opposed to after three years of arrears, as previously existed.
These changes have impacted the delivery of the department's KPIs, especially
since the strategies employed for delivery of the KPIs have been less aggressive
than normal during the first half of 2014. This approach was undertaken to allow
the changes made on January 12 to take traction with members. A significant
education process had to be undertaken to ensure that members understood the
changes and the effect of them. This was done on an individual basis.
54
1. 100% on time issuance of payment plans and collection procedures.
Since the beginning of 2014 three new payment plans have been prepared for
members with arrears dated prior to 2013. These supplemented the three plans in
existence prior to the start of the year. All plans are created to bring the country's
membership back into line with the terms of the CTO constitution as soon as the
country's economic capabilities permit. Of these plans, three have been serviced by
payments since the start of the year.
We will continue our efforts to create payment plans for the three remaining
members with balances dated prior to 2013. This process is done in conjunction
with the CTO's membership services department to ensure that while plans are
being negotiated we address any concerns the particular member may have.
2. A 50% reduction in membership dues arrears.
There has been a 23.4% reduction in membership dues arrears based on the amount
outstanding after the January 12, 2014 write-off. To date a total of $1.696 million
in membership dues has been collected. Of this amount $805K represented arrears
and $891K represented 2014 dues. The low level of collections highlighted in the
April 2014 report has improved somewhat, but the collections have not yet reached
a satisfactory level. The implementation of payment plans will assist with this
collection process and contribute to a further reduction of arrears.
On the matter of Regional Marketing Fund (RMF) arrears, on January 12, 2014 the
joint CTO Council and CTO Board of Directors meeting also approved the
reduction of the existing RMF arrears by 45% to match the level of the marketing
component of the new CTO fee structure. By the writing of this, the level of RMF
arrears had been reduced by 22.11% due to the collection of $262K. Efforts
continue to collect the remaining arrears.
3. Increase in net operating cash flow.
The low level of collections for 2014 has resulted in a negative cash flow position
so far for the year. While we have significantly reduced our cost profiles to match
the changes in the CTO fee structure, slow cash inflows mainly characterized by
slow membership dues collections have reduced and in some cases totally
prohibited our ability to roll out projects intended for 2014.This has also hindered
some service delivery. In addition, we have had mixed success with our
fundraising activities, which are usually tied to specific events or projects.
We have increased our focus on finding new sources of funding and these
initiatives along with our fundraising activities are expected to improve our cash
flow position during the latter part of the year.
55
It is also expected that more timely and relevant communication of information to
members and processing of members’ feedback will begin to reverse the current
situation as it relates to collections from members.
4. Retention of members in good financial standing.
As an update to the position stated in the last report, as of August 8, 2014, fifteen
members (50%) were in good financial standing. Good financial standing is
defined by the CTO constitution as having only the current year’s dues unpaid.
Only members in good financial standing are eligible for election to CTO office.
In addition, only members in good financial standing are allowed to vote in the
biennial elections of officers at the CTO Annual General Meeting (AGM). The
AGM can only take place if a quorum of sixteen members in good financial
standing is present. Like the first three KPIs, this is very dependent on the
collection of dues from members, which is an ongoing process.
The officers of the CTO are the Chairman of the Council of Ministers and
Commissioners of Tourism and the various Vice-Chairmen representing the US
Territories, French Territories, Spanish Territories, Dutch Territories, CARICOM
and British Overseas Territories. The next AGM is in September 2014 in the U.S.
Virgin Islands.
5. Enhanced use of technology for improved financial management across all
offices.
In our April report it was indicated that key to our delivery of this KPI is a project
to finalize the link of all three of the CTO's offices into one Accounting system.
This project has been postponed pending a better cash flow position. While the
cash flow position has improved since April, we are still in a negative position.
This is a critical project, but it does not directly affect our delivery of services to
members and service delivery remains our number one priority.
Once our cash flow position permits, we will commence this project and ensure it
is completed in a timely and cost-effective manner. Given the current conditions
however, it is unlikely that this project can be started in 2014.
Summary
While our results to date have been below the expectations set out in our KPIs, it
must be reiterated that we continue to work with all departments to ensure that the
organization maintains a high level of service delivery to all members.
Please also refer to the financial statements, which are an appendix to the report.
AFFILIATE AND ALLIED MEMBERS
56
FCCA – CTO REPORT
Takeaways from 2nd
Quarter Cruise Line Earnings Reports
The 2014 cruise lines’ earnings reports have shown the fiscal benefit of another
record year of cruise passengers. Revenues are up as lines continue to focus on
increasing capacity and onboard revenue while decreasing and controlling costs.
The Caribbean continues to benefit from this capacity, with a leading 37.3 percent
of projected 2014 capacity; however, Jason Liberty, chief financial officer of Royal
Caribbean Cruises Ltd., called the Caribbean environment “promotional” while
citing its softness in revenue yields, opposed to the strong demand and high ticket
pricing in Europe and Asia, especially China. The earnings report also mentioned
increased Caribbean dry dock fees affecting net cruise costs, which were down 4.7
percent overall, excluding fuel.
Arnold Donald, Canrival Corporation & plc president and CEO, also noted better
than expected net revenue yields due to lower than expected net cruise costs, with a
6 percent improvement in fuel consumption; cross-brand operational efficiencies;
an improving economic environment; revenue yield improvement for continental
European brands; and its strengthening position in China. Despite a fleet-wide
booking volume slightly behind last year’s, Donald noted that the brands’
momentum have allowed this to be offset through higher ticket prices in some
markets, while alluding to the “more competitive environment in the Caribbean.”
Norwegian Cruise Line doubled its adjusted profit, driven by a significant capacity
increase and improved yields higher occupancy percentage, higher onboard and
other revenue and benefits from initiatives to reduce the cost of sales. Kevin
Sheehan, Norwegian Cruise Line CEO, mentioned these results reflecting the first
full quarter with both Breakaway-class ships operating alongside Epic and that
“…these newer, premium, earnings-rich ships now comprise a little over a third of
our capacity.” Moving forward, the line is focused on investing in its brand;
revitalizing fleet-wide; reducing its environmental impact; and adding and more
capacity, with an order already announced for two 164,600 GRT, 4200-berth
Breakaway Plus-class ships.
57
The earnings reports show good news for the overall industry, with its fundamental
business model continuing to increase profits for the fastest-growing sector in the
luxury travel market. One of its tenets—having movable assets—continues to pay
dividends in an increasingly global market, especially due to the higher yields
through higher ticket prices. Yet the Caribbean still leads in capacity and has
investment committed to it in numerous new port developments, such as Carnival’s
recently announced port in Haiti and almost complete port in Puerto Plata,
Dominican Republic, along with Norwegian Cruise Line’s port development in
Belize.
Moving forward, the Caribbean must drive demand and higher prices to compete in
the global market. Product renewal and diversification is necessary to attract repeat
visitors from North America, along with new passengers from global markets who
become loyal cruisers abroad and want to sample the “exotic” Caribbean. Sun,
beach and sand are no longer enough; destinations must offer distinct, constantly
evolving products.
Cruise Industry’s Economic Impact to the Destinations
Highlights of the Business Research & Economic Advisors (BREA) 2012
study Economic Contribution of Cruise Tourism to the Destination
Economies* include:
• Cruise tourism contributed $1.99 billion of direct expenditures in the
participating 21 destinations for the 2011-2012 cruise year.
• Cruise ship calls brought 15.44 million passenger visits and 2.7 million crew
to the participating destinations during the 2011-2012 cruise year, which
generated $1.48 billion and $261.9 million in onshore spending, respectively.
• Average expenditure per passenger across all destinations was $95.92, and
average expenditure per crewmember was $96.98.
• Cruise-related expenditures generated 45,225 jobs throughout the studied
destinations, which paid $728.1 million in wage income to the residents.
• The typical cruise ship carrying 3,000 passengers and 500 crewmembers
generates approximately $336,250 in passenger and crew expenditures during
a single port-of-call visit. (Amount calculated by overall average
expenditures per passenger and crew.)
• Cruise passengers were, in general, very satisfied with their Caribbean cruise
vacation, with a mean score of 7.6 for “overall visit” (using a 10-point scale
with 10 being the highest and 1 being the lowest).
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It is, therefore, clear that the cruise industry’s economic impact in the Caribbean
and Latin American regions is significant and continues to grow. The Member
Lines of the FCCA urge you to carefully analyze all this information and see for
yourself how the cruise industry is positively impacting your country’s economy.
The importance of this study and the insight it provides about cruise passenger
spending and satisfaction have been noticed by many of the FCCA’s partner
destinations, evidenced by a record number—32—participating in the upcoming
2015 study: Antigua; Aruba; The Bahamas; Barbados; Belize; Bonaire; British
Virgin Islands; Cayman Islands; Colombia; Costa Maya, Mexico; Cozumel,
Mexico; Curacao; Dominica; Dominican Republic; Ensenada, Mexico; Grenada;
Guadeloupe; Guatemala; Honduras; Jamaica; Martinique; Mazatlan, Mexico;
Nicaragua; Progreso, Mexico; Puerto Rico; Puerto Vallarta, Mexico; St. Kitts &
Nevis; St. Lucia; St. Maarten; Tobago; Trinidad; and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
*Study published in October 2012 and accounts for the 2011/2012 cruise year.
Participants included; Antigua & Barbuda; Aruba; The Bahamas; Barbados;
Belize; British Virgin Islands; Cayman Islands; Colombia; Costa Rica; Curaçao;
Dominica; Dominican Republic; Grenada; Honduras; Nicaragua; Puerto Rico
(San Juan); St. Kitts & Nevis; St. Vincent & the Grenadines; Turks & Caicos;
and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
FCCA Conference & Trade Show
The 21st annual FCCA Conference & Trade Show will be in St. Maarten from
October 6 to 10. It will present more in-depth solutions to the problems raised from
the earnings reports, with workshops focusing on increasing cruise tourism through
a destinations’ private and public sectors working with the cruise lines; attracting
cruise line investments, e.g. ports and destination projects; and
developing/revitalizing tour offerings. It will also present an opportunity to promote
products to and gain insight from over 100 FCCA Member Line executives,
presidents and CEOs.
FCCA – 8/5/14
59
REPORT FROM WORLD TRAVEL & TOURISM COUNCIL
(WTTC)
Mission of WTTC: To maximize the sustainable growth potential
of the industry by informing governments and wider society, of the
enormous economic and social benefit that Travel & Tourism brings to the world
community.
2014 saw WTTC’s return to China, after a gap of four years, for the venue of our
annual Global Summit. In those four years the size of China’s travel industry has
increased by a third, and its forecast impact on the global industry is now very
apparent.
Our Summit in Hainan gave us the timely opportunity to engage positively with the
private and public sector leadership in China.
During the second quarter we have also seen the impact in the media of our annual
economic impact data, released in March of each year. The messaging of that data –
that our sector is growing 30% faster than the economy as a whole and last year
generated 4.7 million new jobs – was directed by us into a widening group of
influential media. On a visit to the US this year David Scowsill gave interviews
with Bloomberg Business Week, Wall Street Journal and the New York times, and
appeared on Bloomberg TV. Across the Americas as a whole, the releases were
picked up in publications ranging from Folha de São Paulo, to Forbes Mexico and
China Daily.
MEMBERSHIP
WTTC has welcomed the following new Members since December 2013.
Global Members
Seow Hiang Lee Changi Airport Group
José Luis Castro Corporate Travel Services
Darrell Wade PEAK Adventure Travel
Federico Gonzalez Tejera NH Hotel Group
Sean Donohue Dallas Fort Worth Airport
John Noel Noel Group
Mike Leven Las Vegas Sands
Kevin Sheehan Norwegian Cruise Lines
60
Pamela Nicholson Enterprise Holdings
Shaoyong Liu China Eastern Airlines
Peter Meier Kuoni
Regional Members
Elizabeth Gaines Hello World
Claudio Silvestri Premier Hotels & Resorts
Sonu Shivdasani Soneva
HE Sheikh Mubarak Al Abdullah Al Mubarak Al Sabah Action Hotels
Industry Partners
Michael A. Hickey Ecolab
Ben Leahy Goldman Sachs
RESEARCH AND ECONOMIC ANALYSIS/FORECASTS— The foundation
of the Council is the information provided globally for defining the industry
and providing empirical evidence for advocacy positions.
Economic Impact research
WTTC’s economic impact research continues to underpin WTTC’s messaging on
the importance of Travel & Tourism to economies and job creation.
According to our latest data, published in February, Travel & Tourism directly and
indirectly generates:
- US$7 trillion in GDP (9.5% of global GDP)
- 266 million jobs (1 in 11 jobs)
- US$754.6 billion in investment (4.4% of global investment)
- US$1.3 trillion in exports (5.4% of exports)
In the Caribbean:
- The total contribution of Travel & Tourism to GDP was USD49.0bn (14% of
GDP) in 2012, and is forecast to rise by 4% in 2014, and to rise by 3.4% pa to
USD71.5bn in 2024.
- In 2013, the total contribution of Travel & Tourism to employment, including
jobs indirectly supported by the industry, was 11.3% of total employment
(1,909,000 jobs). This is expected to rise by 2.8% in 2014 to 1,963,000 jobs
and by 1.9% per year to 2,377,000 jobs in 2023 (12.2% of total).
61
WTTC continues to produce monthly tracking of the impact of developments in the
global economy on Travel & Tourism. The Monthly Updates, available on
www.wttc.org, provide a round-up of the economic situation as well as latest Travel
& Tourism indicators (air travel, hotel occupancies, arrivals data etc) and an
indication of whether this latest information would have an upward, downward or
neutral impact on our forecasts.
Our mid-year update will be published in November and will reassess the forecasts
for 2014 in light of recent developments.
Tax Model
WTTC and UNWTO, in conjunction with Oxford Economics, developed a model
that quantifies the economic impact of a change in Travel & Tourism taxation.
The model was applied as a pilot to a middle eastern country that was looking to
raise the VAT on hotel accommodation from 8% to 16%. The model was used to
assess the impact of this action and found that while there would be a modest
increase in government tax income, the result would be a net loss of international
visitors, jobs in Travel & Tourism and contribution from the industry to GDP across
three years.
The model is available for use by countries wishing to assess the impact of
proposed tax changes.
POLICY INITIATIVES – WTTC serves the global community through an
action-oriented and broad policy agenda, reflecting the three strategic
priorities: Freedom to Travel; Policies for Growth; and Tourism for
Tomorrow.
Freedom to Travel
The right of people to travel safely, securely and efficiently across international
borders.
The current focus of the Freedom to Travel Priority is ‘Visa Facilitation’, building
on the substantial work already undertaken by WTTC and others. This research
includes:
- The Impact of Visa Facilitation on Job Creation in the G20 Economies
- The Impact of Visa Facilitation on Job Creation in the APEC Economies
- The Impact of Visa Facilitation in ASEAN Member States
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Policies for Growth
Regulatory interventions which support the growth of Travel & Tourism, through
the creation of a competitive business environment.
The current focus of the Policies for Growth Priority is ‘Taxation’. Resources for
this priority include:
- Travel & Trade Linkages
- Benchmark Study on Industry Comparisons
- Tax Burden on the US Travel & Tourism sector
- Air Passenger Duty
- Business Travel Research
- WTTC & UNWTO Tax Model
Tourism for Tomorrow
Sustainable development of Travel & Tourism which ensures benefits for
consumers, businesses, local people and the environment.
WTTC has a number of ongoing initiatives which fit under the ‘Tourism for
Tomorrow’ umbrella. These include:
- A Career in Travel & Tourism: Undergraduate Perceptions
- Gender Equality and Youth Employment in Travel & Tourism
- The Future of Travel & Tourism Talent
- Hotel Carbon Measurement Initiative (HCMI)
- Environmental and Social Governance Reporting
TOURISM FOR TOMORROW AWARDS
The 2014 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards were presented during the 14th Global
Summit on 24 April, 2014 in Hainan, China. They included two new award
categories, People Award, and Innovation Award. The winners were:
- Business Award winner – Asilia Africa, Tanzania
- Community Award winner – Arviat Community Ecotourism, Canada
- Destination Award winner – Temes – Costa Navarino, Greece
- Environment Award winner - Jetwing Vil Uyana, Sri Lanka
- Innovation Award winner - Ecosphere, India
- People Award winner – Lao National Institute of Tourism and Hospitality
(LANITH), Laos
The next Awards Ceremony will be held during the 15th Global Summit on 15-16
April 2015 in Madrid, Spain.
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GOVERNMENT AND INDUSTRY AFFAIRS – The top priority of WTTC is to
integrate industry needs with governments. Speaking with one voice as the
authority for the varied segments of the Travel and Tourism industry is the
bedrock for the advocacy efforts.
Global Travel Association Coalition (GTAC)
The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) confirmed its alignment to
the ‘One Voice’ mission, by announcing that it will join the key international travel
industry organisations that constitute the Global Travel Association Coalition
(GTAC).
WTTC and the other GTAC members are delighted to welcome ICAO’s
contribution from the Aviation sector. Their involvement will allow for a greater
alignment on issues affecting Travel & Tourism in order to present the industry
coherently and with full weight to governments.
GTAC exists to promote a better understanding of Travel& Tourism’s role as a
driver of economic growth and employment and to help governments develop
policies which contribute to the profitable, sustainable and long-term growth of the
industry.
GTAC is now comprised of Airports Council International (ACI), Cruise Line
International Association (CLIA), International Air Transport Association (IATA),
International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), Pacific Asia Travel Association
(PATA), World Economic Forum (WEF), UN World Tourism Organization
(UNWTO) and the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).
WTTC serves as an informal secretariat to GTAC, coordinating the data and the
messaging of the member organisations, preparing each organisation’s leader as
they travel around the world carrying our industry’s voice.
Visa Facilitation
WTTC in partnership with UNWTO conducted the impact study for the APEC and
ASEAN economies as two further reports on Visa Facilitation. The findings for the
APEC study were presented by WTTC at an APEC High Level meeting 2-3
October, 2013 on Travel Facilitation in Bali, Indonesia. The findings from the
ASEAN study were presented by WTTC at the 39th Meeting of the ASEAN NTO’s
and the 17th Meeting of the Ministers of Tourism in Kuching, Malaysia in January,
2014.
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Global Leaders for Tourism Campaign (Golden Book)
WTTC continues to work with UNWTO in approaching Heads of State to join this
important campaign, using the opportunity as a vital mechanism for more open
discussions that will encourage the industry’s economic growth potential.
WTTC continues to work with UNWTO in approaching Heads of State to join this
important campaign, using the opportunity as a vital mechanism for more open
discussions that will encourage the industry’s economic growth potential.
To date 63 world leaders have accepted the WTTC/UNWTO Open Letter on Travel
& Tourism and voiced their support for the sector, thus indicating the industry’s
increasing prominence on the global agenda. This is the objective at the heart of the
WTTC/UNWTO Global Leaders for Tourism Campaign.
World Economic Forum
WTTC continues to serve on The Agenda Council dedicated to Aviation and Travel
& Tourism, focused on the improvements for visa procedures and policies as a way
to ensure growth for the Travel & Tourism industry. The Council renamed itself as
the Global Agenda Council on New Models of Travel & Tourism. This Council was
led this year by Kathleen Matthews, Senior Vice-President of Global
Communications with Elizabeth Buse, Group President – APCEMEA for Visa,
serving as co-chair.
WTTC continues to be an active member of this Council and participates in the
monthly meetings.
APEC
Maintaining a guest status with this intergovernmental organization of 21
economies, WTTC presented and participated in the 43rd
and 44th Tourism Working
Group meetings. In addition, WTTC and UNWTO presented the results of The
Impact of Visa Facilitation in APEC Economies to encourage continued opening of
the region during a High Level Policy Dialogue on Travel Facilitation in Bali,
Indonesia in October 2013.
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WTTC is co-sponsoring with the Philippines an APEC Taxation study. This study
entitled, “An Assessment of the Role of Taxation in Promoting Travel & Tourism
Growth in the APEC Region”, will analyse taxation strategies that maximise the
competitiveness of destinations, by assessing tax policies and degrees of impact on
the industry for the consumer and private sector.
OECD
In October 2013, WTTC presented highlights from a WTTC white paper on
Freedom to Travel, Visa Facilitation at a special OECD and UNWTO Informal
Working Group meeting on Travel Facilitation and Visa Issues. WTTC attended the
OECD Tourism Committee meeting at which taxation and Travel & Tourism trends
were addressed. WTTC presented the highlights of the Impact of Visa Facilitation
on the APEC economies and the proposed work WTTC will conduct with several
APEC economics on An Assessment of the Role of Taxation in Promoting Travel
and Tourism Growth in the APEC region.
OUTREACH AND ADVOCACY
WTTC engaged with the ASEAN Ministers and heads of NTOs at the Tourism
Forum in Kuching, Malaysia in January 2014.
WTTC participated in the UNEP Global Partnership for Sustainable Tourism
(GPST) Conference and Symposium in Morocco in February 2014, presenting at a
special panel for Private Sector Stakeholder engagement to determine areas for their
future work programme in UNEP. WTTC was asked to serve in the Experts meeting
for developing the strategy for the 10 Year Future Programme (10YFP) as the
follow on to the Rio +20 UN efforts for sustainability.
WTTC joined 30 other experts to engage in the Think Tank established by the
World Tourism Forum in Lucerne in February 2014. The focus of the day session
was on infrastructure development, investment and sustainability.
EVENTS
14TH
GLOBAL SUMMIT 2014, HAINAN, CHINA
From 24th to 25th April, 2014, over 780 delegates representing 63 countries and 50
media institutions gathered together in Hainan, China for the 14th WTTC Global
Summit.
66
Under the theme of ‘Changing World, New Perspectives’, senior business leaders
and government representatives from around the world presented, discussed and
debated the most serious issues facing the development and growth of Travel &
Tourism. Delegates learned about the challenges and opportunities that face the
sector in our changing world. This addressed how as a Force for Good, Travel &
Tourism has the ability to drive economic growth, create jobs and preserve cultures
and natural resources for future generations. Overall, sessions and discussions made
it clear that realising these opportunities will require for greater levels of
connectivity, openness and leadership in the years to come.
2ND
WTTC AMERICAS REGIONAL SUMMIT, LIMA PERU
Following the successful Americas Summit in Mexico in 2012, the second WTTC
Americas Regional Summit will take place in Lima, Peru from 10-11 September
2014. Under the theme, ‘Facing Challenges – Finding Opportunities’, the Americas
Summit will bring together global and regional leaders in Travel & Tourism to
showcase the opportunities and shape the future sustainable growth of the sector, a
sector which has the potential to be far more important for the economies of the
region.
15TH
GLOBAL SUMMIT 2015, MADRID, SPAIN
The 15th Global Summit will take place on April 15-16, 2015 in Madrid, Spain.
APPENDICES
1
April 2014
Quarterly Programmes and Activities Update
2014 will be recorded as a year of significant change for the Caribbean Tourism Organization. The year
opened with a number of historic changes, particularly to the Organization’s membership structure.
These changes have impacted the entire Organization and have resulted in the need to quickly adapt to
a new way of thinking, engaging and operating.
As is expected the Organization has continued to work towards achieving its 2014 Mission, “To provide
strategic leadership in tourism”, while learning to maneuver the new environment.
This brief update provides insight into the major programmes and activities of the CTO during the first
three months of 2014.
A New Structure implemented
The Tiered Membership and new Membership Dues Structure were implemented in January.
The CTO now has a Base Membership and an optional, Gold Membership.
The internal accounting systems and processes were successfully updated to seamlessly
accommodate the implementation of the new Dues Structure.
A comprehensive campaign was launched in January to communicate the new Membership
Services Structure.
A comprehensive list of Government Member products and services has been developed.
The APD Win
After years of leading the advocacy campaign to have the UK Government’s Air Passenger Duty
more fairly represent the interests of the Caribbean, the CTO is pleased to report that the UK’s
Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a proposed reform, effective April 2015, which will see
the Caribbean being moved to the same category as other long-haul destinations, including the
US. This change results in a reduction in the amount of duty applied to an airline ticket from the
UK, which will essentially reduce the cost of flying to the Caribbean.
2
Diversified and improved media engagement
The occasion of the Annual State of the Industry News Conference was used as the first
opportunity to use live blogging to communicate highlights of a CTO press conference. This
resulted in 9,325 Facebook Impressions, 6,759 LinkedIn Impressions and Twitter reach of
approximately 310,235 users.
275 individuals connected to the live stream of the Annual State of the Industry First Quarter
News Briefing.
Overall, Facebook followers increased by 6%, while Twitter followers increased by 9% and
LinkedIn followers increased by 16% during the review period.
Coverage of CTO member activities at ITB – Berlin in February was carried by the media in 25
countries.
Media Investment through Sponsorship
A commitment valued at US$95,000 in media coverage for Caribbean Week New York 2014 has
been secured from Travel & Leisure and New York magazines.
Targeting the International Travel Trade
Travel agent workshops in Italy and France were attended by 324 agents from across the
respective markets
A total of 530 travel agents in the US participated in webinars and sales presentations
coordinated by the CTO and hosted by individual member countries.
CTO members were profiled at trade and consumer events across the US, with a combined
attendance of approximately 164,000 individuals.
The new Caribbean Wedding & Honeymoon Guide and the new Caribbean Meetings &
Incentives Guides were launched at major travel events in the UK.
A meeting with senior management of the Apple Leisure Group, now the largest supplier of vacation package business to the Caribbean from the U.S, gave assurances that the company’s focus is to continue to grow its Caribbean business.
Targeting International Funding
A meeting with the Clinton Foundation in NYC was facilitated by the Caribbean-Central American Action to discuss funding and development opportunities for the Caribbean.
3
Resource and Mobilization Development
In March, CTO brought together 16 tourism/hospitality education institutions from 14 CTO
member countries, a number of regional, sub-regional and national agencies, and several
public/private sector industry practitioners in Barbados to assist with the revision of the
standardized curriculum currently being used for the associate degree programme in
tourism/hospitality in the region. The updated curriculum will be available by September 2014
and is expected to produce graduates who are better equipped for the tourism/hospitality
sector.
US$45,000 in sponsorship was secured from The Commonwealth of Learning to facilitate the
hosting of the Curriculum Review programme.
New Partnerships in Sustainable Tourism
The CTO and the Caribbean Public Health Association (CARPHA) entered an agreement to work
towards the development and implementation of a regional health and tourism programme.
In March, the CTO hosted the launch of the Sustainable Destination Alliance for the Americas,
which is an initiative established in partnership with Sustainable Travel International (STI), the
Organization of American States Secretariat (OAS) and the Secretariat for Central America
Tourism Integration (SITCA) to focus on the development of sustainable tourism in the region.
The CTO collaborated with the CARICOM Secretariat as part of a Working Committee tasked
with reviewing the status of a programme developed to address issues relating to
Environmental Management Systems and Certification in the Caribbean.
Facilitating greater Industry Insight
Phase 2 of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) funded Regional Tourism Satellite
Accounts programme has started. This program assists CTO member-countries to implement
systems aimed at quantifying the contribution of tourism to their economies.
Completed a Cruise and Consumer Insight Study, to determine factors impacting cruising in the
summer months and remedial approaches.
The assessment of the results of the first Guestpitality – Total Visitor Satisfaction programme
participating country was completed.
Working towards non-government membership growth
A review of the CTO product and services portfolio with a view to achieving more efficient
structure and service delivery was completed.
4
Soft-launched an online membership application and payment process for non-government
members intended to facilitate ease of application.
Signed up 15 first time members to the CTO Allied Membership. This is an unusually large
number of first time Allied Members joining in a single quarter.
Continuing Advocacy
Meetings were conducted with the Canadian and British High Commissioners for Barbados and
the Eastern Caribbean to explore deeper cooperation with the CTO on tourism-related matters.
A meeting was held with the Consular Corp in New York which has resulted in a representative
to serve on CTO’s Caribbean Diaspora Committee being identified.
For more details about any of the content in this document, please contact Faye Gill at
1
August 2014
Quarterly Programmes and Activities Update
The 2014 second quarter Programmes and Activities Update is intended to provide a synopsis of the
highlights of the CTO performance, and initiatives, over the April to June period. The focus remained
promoting the Caribbean, identifying strategic opportunities and the continued development of existing
relationships to the benefit of the membership.
New Market Development
The CTO participated in the Arabian Travel Show in an attempt to gauge the level of interest in
the Caribbean in those markets. Over 100 meetings were held with tour operators, travel
agents and media from the United Arab Emirates, India, Singapore and China. The Weddings &
Honeymoons and Meetings Incentives Conferences & Events (MICE) programmes attracted the
most interest.
For the first time, a travel agent event was hosted in Ottawa, as a part of the programme to
expand the opportunities for members in the Canadian market. The inaugural event attracted
68 travel agents from across the capital city.
Travel Trade Engagement
A total of 302 travel agents in the US participated in webinars coordinated by the CTO and
hosted by individual member countries.
Contact was made with 175 travel agents at Trade shows across the United States.
Roadshows conducted in Russia, Copenhagen and Stockholm attracted 295 professionals
including travel agents, tour operators and representatives from the travel media.
12 member countries were represented in the CTO coordinated Caribbean pavilion at WTM
Latin America in Brazil. This is one of the largest travel trade events in Latin America and
attracted over 20,000 travel professionals.
2
Training programmes on the Caribbean were completed by 57 travel agents, 15 of these agents
were from Thomas Cook, while 42 of them were enrolled in the Caribbean Travel Guru
programme.
Media Engagement
Exposure for Caribbean Week New York in major publications like USA Today, Travel & Leisure
and New York magazines was estimated at a value of US$215,000. In addition broadcast
coverage for the Week’s activities was secured on the FOX and Friends show on the FOX News
Network.
The CTO-produced Destination Caribbean television show was aired on the Caribbean Media
Corporation’s CaribVison channel in 19 CTO member countries, and the New York Tri-State area.
The show focused on the impact of crises on the Caribbean Tourism sector.
The CTO Meet the Media event in the UK attracted 33 key media representatives from
traditional and online organizations. The event provided a critical networking opportunity for
the 10 CTO member countries that attended.
Online Media Performance and Activities
Social media exposure for the CTO and its activities grew steadily. The number of Twitter
followers and Facebook fans increased approximately 8% over the First Quarter. In addition,
LinkedIn followers increased approximately 10% for the same period.
The Caribbean Week New York social media campaign achieved 1000 Facebook fans, 350
Instagram fans and an impressive 14,000 Twitter followers.
There were approximately 30,000 users of www.onecaribbean.org and over 100,000 page
views. The majority of users accessed the events calendar content where member country
events and activities are highlighted.
Internal web development activity over the period included the creation of event web pages for
the CTO / CREST Symposium and Caribbean Week Canada. The CTO / CREST Symposium pages
received over 4,500 page views and the Caribbean Week Canada pages received over 2,000
page views during the reporting period.
Facilitating Industry Insight
The Performance Review of Caribbean Tourism for the first quarter of 2014 was published.
(The full report is available for download on www.onecaribbean.org).
A common Stay-Over Visitor Expenditure Questionnaire was drafted. This tool will facilitate the
more efficient tracking of visitor spend in individual members countries.
3
As the organization seeks to utilize technology more effectively, work started on the
development of the electronic monitoring and evaluation tools for initial use with the Tourism
Satellite Accounts programme.
The Information Technology team commenced the development of searchable statistical
databases that will facilitate easier access to regional tourism data.
Targeting Programme Funding
The search for project and programme funding was expanded through a series of discussions
with potential source agencies within the Caribbean region, including the Japan International
Cooperation Action (JICA) and CARIFORUM, as well as meetings in Europe with the African,
Caribbean and Pacific Group (ACP), the European Union External Action Service (EEAS). These
meetings were largely exploratory and focused on gaining insight into the criteria to be met to
access the funds managed by these various agencies.
Four (4) CTO members submitted applications to be pilot countries in the Sustainable
Destination Alliances for the Americas programme. The programme is a joint initiative in
between the CTO, the Organisation of American States (OAS), Sustainable Tourism International
(STI) and the Secretariat for Central America Tourism Integration (SITCA), which will see
participants receiving funding support for the Sustainable Tourism projects.
Resource Development
Five (5) new companies joined the Hospitality Assured programme. These companies were all
based in Grenada.
The Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) Tourism Programme at the Caribbean Advanced
Proficiency Examination (CAPE) level was launched. The CXC worked very closely with the CTO
in the development of this programme. It introduces, for the first time, formal regional
certification in Tourism at the Secondary School level.
The CTO Scholarship Foundation received an injection of £4,500. This donation was raised
during the CTO Caribbean Ball in the UK. The money will be used to assist in the provision of
scholarships and grants to Caribbean students and professionals.
Leading Sustainable Tourism
The Caribbean experience in implementing the renewable energy programming through the
Caribbean Hotel Energy Efficiency Action Program (CHENACT) was presented during a panel
discussion at the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) Renewable Energy
Applications for Island Tourism conference in Cyprus. The CTO’s participation in this conference
4
facilitated international recognition for the region’s achievements in the area of renewable
energy in the sector.
Introductory discussions with the Clinton Giustra Foundation resulted in their senior executives
agreeing to present details on the programmes that the Foundation is currently funding, during
the CTO Council of Ministers / Commissioners meeting in June. They showcased a system of
‘supply chain’ assistance which is intended to be used as a template to assist developing
countries in the Caribbean and elsewhere.
Discussions about a potential partnership were initiated with a Caribbean Energy Consultancy
firm that possesses a product that could reasonably reduce energy consumption costs
throughout the tourism sector, enhance the competitive position of participants and earn
revenue for the CTO.
Building Regional and International Partnerships
The CTO partnered with the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the Association of
Caribbean States (ACS), Airports Council International (ACI) and the Latin American and
Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA) to create the upcoming Caribbean Aviation Day,
centered on the theme: Improving the Passenger Experience and Securing Sustainable Market
Growth in the Caribbean.
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed with the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation
in Agriculture (IICA) in an effort to forge closer Agri-tourism links and to bring greater amounts
of tangible tourism benefits to Caribbean food producers.
The CTO signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Caribbean Public Health Agency
(CARPHA) and the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA) to create a partnership to
establish and promote health and safety protocols and practices in regional tourism.
For more details about any of the content in this document, please contact Faye Gill at
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