CHA Issues Official Stance on Tourist Services

The Caribbean Hotels Association (CHA) wrapped up the CRNM report (Caribbean Regional Negotiation Machinery) entitled Tourist Services: Implications for CARIFORUM, now in the hands of Caribbean negotiators representing the tourist private sector in the region.

The CRNM conducted an all-embracing investigation with members from all levels of the Caribbean hospitality industry during the second quarter of 2003 in order to find out the most important issues for the industry. The resulting report gave rise to an official stance on the part of the private sector that seeks to help Caribbean governments and their negotiators come up with a common regional strategy.

The Caribbean Hotels Association has forwarded its position to all parties involved –the CRNM, the Caribbean Tourism Organization, CARICOM, national hotel associations and government officials. This position is expected to let negotiators have a clearer understanding of what the travel industry means to the whole region and what challenges are ahead of the road.

“Given the importance of the travel industry for the Caribbean as a major source of jobs, income and taxes, it’s essential for CHA to take the lead and offer an array of negotiation possibilities to ease the insertion of the private sector into the leisure industry and guarantee the sector’s future competitiveness in the region,” CHA President Simon Suarez averred.