CHTA Urges Efforts to Stop Coronavirus from Spreading in the Region

The Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association has urged its stakeholders to take advantage of the coronavirus resources it has set up to contain the spread of the virus in the region.

Officials also sought to remind the world of the Caribbean tourism sector’s proven ability to strongly bounce back from adversity.

Recalling the association’s experience in dealing with emergencies, CHTA chief executive Frank Comito, and Patricia Affonso-Dass, president of CHTA, reported that immediately upon understanding the potential threat of Covid-19 in January, the association reached out to the Caribbean Public Health Agency to begin to put in place monitoring, education and awareness initiatives.

The association also advanced and implemented measures to ensure the safety of its employees.

In a joint statement, Comito and Affonso-Dass pointed to online resources available to help the industry manage the crisis.

Many of these, along with updates on travel advisories, airline and hotel cancellations, and other notices can be found at the CHTA Covid-19 resource centre.

They reminded that the Caribbean tourism sector has considerable experience in managing disruptions and risks: “We demonstrated this post 9-11, through SARS, Zika, hurricanes and other natural disasters over the past two decades, all while experiencing unprecedented growth,” said a statement.

The leaders admitted, however, that nothing compares to what the region and the world are experiencing with the coronavirus threat, and while much of what happens is beyond individual control, through sound collective actions by companies, organisations, communities and governments, the duration and intensity of the pandemic can be managed.