MIAMI (October 26, 2017) – Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) President Karolin Troubetzkoy told Caribbean-American residents in South Florida that the response to the trade association’s recently launched One Caribbean Family initiative has been extremely encouraging.
The initiative allows hotels across the region to help those who have been adversely impacted by Hurricanes Irma and Maria, while also highlighting that more than 70 percent of Caribbean destinations have not been affected and are ready to welcome visitors as usual.
Speaking earlier this month to veteran Caribbean-American broadcaster Pat Montague on WAVS 1170 AM radio in South Florida, Troubetzkoy, who operates two hotels in St. Lucia (Anse Chastanet and Jade Mountain), said the response to the initiative augurs well for the future of Caribbean unity and cooperation.
“We are very pleased with the response not just by the hotels, but also by large companies like tour operators, travel agents and travel advisors. Everybody wants to play a role and make a pledge. I love the fact that we are all coming together as a family … because there’s so much that needs to be done right now,” she said, adding that in the long term, schools and training institutes will need to be rebuilt and jobs need to be created.
She explained that, in the past, when destinations were affected by storms, CHTA asked member hotels to provide auction packages, but with the enormity of devastation following the September storms, the association felt that more needed to be done.
“Those of us that are open for business are going to benefit from business that was meant for other islands … so we should try to give back,” she asserted. She encouraged hotels to make a pledge for new bookings, which will go towards the Caribbean Tourism Recovery Fund.
Following the hurricanes, she said, CHTA also realized that much of the world did not really understand the geography of the region, so the association launched www.
Troubetzkoy believes it is important to remind travelers many islands were not in the path of the hurricanes, and are absolutely welcoming tourists. “Visiting the Caribbean is one of the best ways to support our region’s economy, especially when we have some countries and territories in the midst of hurricane recovery.” The tourism leader wants assistance with helping the world understand that the Caribbean encompasses about a million square miles and more than 7,000 islands.
Troubetzkoy has also called on the Caribbean Diaspora to rally around the One Caribbean Family movement, and to continue making contributions to help the region rebound.
Hotels and tourism trade partners interested in participating in the campaign should complete the pledge form at https://chtaforms.weebly.
Donations are tax deductible where applicable and can also be made directly online at www.tourismcares.org/
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About the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA)
The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) is the Caribbean’s leading association representing tourism interests for national hotel and tourism associations. For more than 50 years, CHTA has been the backbone of the Caribbean hospitality industry. Working together with 1,000 hotel and allied members and 32 National Hotel Associations, CHTA is shaping the Caribbean’s future and helping members to grow their businesses. Whether navigating new worlds like social media, sustainability, legislative issues, emerging technologies, data and intelligence or looking for avenues and ideas to better market and manage businesses, CHTA is helping members on matters that matter most.
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