CARIBBEAN: Keep Tourism Top of Political Agenda Urges Caribbean Hotel Chief

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Keep Tourism Top of Political Agenda Urges Caribbean Hotel Chief
Contact: Samira Cherrouk -- scherrouk@counterpart.org 

WASHINGTON, DC (December 10, 2003) -- Simon B Suarez, the President of the 
Caribbean Hotel Association welcomed the "very healthy maturation process" of 
the relationship and media Caribbean tourism, "thanks to CMEx," as he opened 
the Fifth Caribbean Media Exchange at the Almond Beach Resort in Barbados, 
jointly sponsored by CHA and Counterpart International. 

Describing tourism as "in most cases… the only means to achieving the 
necessary economic growth for our continued existence and future prosperity," 
he asked participants to help ensure that "as with sugar and bananas in the 
past, tourism is at the top of every political agenda in the future." 

He projected that on current growth rates, over the next decade the region's 
tourism industry will grow from $34 billion to $78.4 billion, and employment 
in the sector will grow from 1.8 million to 2.9 million, but he sounded a 
warning. CARICOM destinations are pricing themselves out of the market, and 
he said, "we do…on occasions, wonder why it is that so little attention is 
paid to the many opportunities that vibrant and successful tourism industry 
could bring." 

In order to ensure the competitiveness of land based tourism, he welcomed 
proposals for a $20 head tax on arriving cruise passengers. And to promote 
investment, governments should look at the tax structure for tourism, which 
they should look at as an export industry He also proposed a Tourism 
Investment Fund to harness local capital and make it available for the 
industry while calling on the smaller local based businesses to join with the 
CHA in collectively promoting themselves in the face of the challenge from 
vertically integrated international tourist operations. 

ENDS