Corporate News

International Women’s Day Message by Dona Regis-Prosper, Secretary-General, CTO

Women’s leadership in the tourism industry is not just about representation; it’s about leveraging and benefiting from diverse perspectives. As we know, diversity builds strength and reinforces sustainability. So, women in leadership is an essential element for any organization seeking to thrive and flourish.

Traditionally, the Caribbean has seen remarkable contributions from women throughout the tourism landscape. Even before more women ascended to higher offices in the tourism sector, they exercised enormous influence on the development of the visitor industry with their valuable, often unrecognized, contributions to the development of modern Caribbean tourism.

Tourism is about people and their wants and needs – areas where women’s sensitivity and experience were often undervalued when compared to the more traditional corporate approaches of the sector’s policy and decision makers. Today women are taking their rightful places at the top tables of our region’s major bread-earner with many destination tourism authorities and ministries now led by women.

But there’s still much to do to ensure women are empowered to lead and innovate. Recognizing and nurturing female talent, providing mentorship, and ensuring equal opportunities are essential steps toward a more inclusive and dynamic tourism sector. Empowering women to become entrepreneurs within the tourism space is a pivotal stride towards enriching the industry with innovative ideas and diverse business models, ensuring a broader spectrum of opportunities and experiences for tourists and stakeholders alike.

I am personally committed to supporting and advocating for women’s leadership and advancement within our vibrant industry. We cannot advance meaningfully without the solid contributions of women.

We also want to do more to leverage our Caribbean Tourism Youth Congress program to cultivate the next generation of women and youth leaders. The talent pool in the Caribbean is so impressive, and we stand to benefit by nurturing and valuing these resources.

There is so much we can do to embrace initiatives that create an inclusive and supportive professional environment for women at all stages of their careers. Setting up a recruitment platform exclusively to attract and train women for higher responsibility or designing mentorship and training programs for women who are returning from maternity breaks or resuming their corporate careers after taking a break are two such examples we ought to explore.

It’s our Day, ladies, so let’s come up with bold ideas and projects which can take shape and be implemented by the next time we celebrate International Women’s Day!

CTO to Engage in High-Level Talks at Tourism Resilience Meeting in Jamaica

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica (February 15, 2024) – Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) Chairman Kenneth Bryan highlights the upcoming second Global Tourism Resilience Conference in Montego Bay, Jamaica, from February 16 to 17, as a pivotal moment for regional and global tourism collaboration.

Chairman Bryan, who is Minister of Tourism and Ports of the Cayman Islands, is set to engage with UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili and regional ministerial and private sector colleagues to discuss enhanced collaboration and the sharing of best practices and opportunities between the CTO, UN Tourism and Caribbean and international tourism counterparts.

With the Caribbean’s socioeconomic development deeply dependent on tourism, Chairman Bryan is focused on leveraging the conference to further unify the Caribbean in bolstering its resilience against unpredictable events. “This conference embodies our collective determination to both foresee and adapt to the industry’s challenges. Coming together as one Caribbean enhances our capacity to withstand any adversity,” Bryan remarked.

He extended congratulations to Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness and Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett for their pioneering roles in orchestrating the critical event, aimed at advancing important conversations within the sector. The conference, co-organized by Jamaica’s Ministry of Tourism and the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC), is anticipated to be a significant meeting of minds, with panel discussions, networking sessions, and presentations designed to spur conversations on building tourism resilience.

Aligning with Global Tourism Resilience Day on February 17, proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly, the conference seeks to highlight the need for resilient tourism development strategies. It calls on Member States to craft national recovery strategies post-disruptions, stressing the importance of public-private partnerships and diversification in tourism offerings.

Chairman Bryan underscored the power of unity, stating, “Our collective vision for a resilient Caribbean, capable of overcoming nature’s unpredictability and other challenges, unites us. This conference marks a step toward realizing that vision, addressing our vulnerabilities while showcasing our recovery and thriving capabilities.”

CTO Secretary-General and CEO Dona Regis-Prosper, who along with the chairman will address the meeting, asserted that the CTO’s collaboration with UN Tourism, regional governments, and industry stakeholders to promote a sustainable, resilient, and thriving Caribbean tourism industry is essential. “Our discussions in Jamaica will underscore Chairman Bryan’s continued calls for collective action and strategic partnerships in safeguarding our region’s tourism sector against the backdrop of global challenges. It is through our unified efforts that we can achieve a more resilient, diverse, and sustainable tourism future,” she stated.

CTO offers Caribbean tourism leaders exclusive training in airline route development

BARBADOS (February 12, 2024) – The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) in partnership with >Airport Strategy & Marketing (ASM) has announced a landmark two-day training event focused on airline route development, scheduled for February 20-21, 2024, at the CTO Headquarters in Barbados.

Dona Regis-Prosper, Secretary-General & CEO of the CTO, explained that “Aviation Marketing, Incentives & Negotiation” marks a significant milestone in the inter-governmental organization’s efforts to strengthen aerial highways to and from the region. “By collaborating with ASM, a part of Informa’s Aviation Week Network and a major international authority in global route development, we are bringing together the best in the field to provide an unparalleled learning experience for our tourism leaders,” she stated.

The event is geared towards high-level tourism professionals such as Ministers of Tourism, Directors of Tourism, CEOs, and other senior positions. It will offer in-depth knowledge and practical skills in key areas such as effective aviation marketing plans, successful incentive strategies, negotiation techniques for new airline routes, and the fundamentals of route development.

The training is expected to draw significant attention from industry leaders looking to gain an edge in the world of aviation due to its interactive approach; intimate, focused learning environment; and opportunity for networking and exchanging ideas.

The collaboration between CTO and ASM, a leader in aviation strategy and marketing and founder of the renowned Routes events, is a strategic move to bolster the Caribbean’s position in the worldwide aviation market. As the Caribbean continues to evolve as a key player in the global tourism industry, training and networking events are crucial for staying ahead in an increasingly competitive field, the Secretary-General posited.

“We encourage our key stakeholders to seize this unique opportunity to elevate their expertise related to airline route development and reshape their aviation strategies,” said Regis-Prosper.

“We are looking forward to collaborating with the CTO on this two-day workshop. Airline negotiations and route support mechanisms have become such an important part of air service development, and this course will provide delegates with the understanding and the techniques required to come to new agreements with airlines that will help bolster the airlift of the Caribbean,” said David Stroud, Managing Director of Strategy and Consulting for Aviation Week Network.

The training session precedes Routes Americas 2024, the leading air service development event in the Americas, scheduled to be held in Bogota, Colombia from March 19-21. This key industry gathering will bring together senior professionals from airlines, airports and destinations, offering an efficient platform for building high-value relationships with key air service development decision-makers from across the region and beyond.

For more details or to register, interested parties may contact Faye Gill at fgill@caribtourism.com