Caribbean Tourism Accommodation Sector to Undertake Expenditures Study

The Caribbean Hotel Association and PRO€INVEST, an agency of the Center for Development Enterprise of the European Union, announced the launch of a research study to gauge how much the Caribbean tourism accommodation sector spends on locally-provided goods and services, including its tax contribution to governments.

“Until now, there had been no available data that quantifies and validates how the expenditures of Caribbean lodging establishments find their way into the local economy by supporting directly the wellbeing of workers, local entrepreneurs, professionals, small, medium and large corporations, and other economic sectors –even government revenues that help finance the running of the country,” said Berthia Parle, MBE, President of CHA.

“This vacuum exists despite the fact that hoteliers have access to the data necessary to clarify the real value and contribution of their business and the overall accommodations sector to their country; they have in their hands the power to help sensitize attitudes and promote more supportive policies in the best interest of their investment and the destination as a whole,” added Mrs. Parle.

PRO€INVEST has contracted Barbadian company Tourism Global, Inc., to undertake the research over the following five months that will zero in on the ACP (Africa, Caribbean and Pacific) countries and will focus primarily on Antigua, Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Guyana, Jamaica, St Kitts & Nevis, and St Lucia.

However, CHA will make the research instruments available to other Caribbean destinations that may wish to carry out the research independently.

In June 2006, during the annual Caribbean Hotel Industry Conference (CHIC), CHA will host a workshop to present the final report to the Caribbean Society of Hotel Association Executives (CSHAE).