The Caribbean Travel Marketplace 42, the Caribbean's most important annual tourism event, concluded with a vibrant celebration at Sandals Resorts in Montego Bay, Jamaica. The event, which ran from May 20th to May 23rd, 2024, featured four days of intense meetings, with two specifically dedicated to business encounters at the Montego Bay Convention Centre.

The event also hosted the 3rd Annual Caribbean Travel Forum, which offered thought-provoking presentations and high-level discussions on the Caribbean's tourism performance, emerging trends, and future prospects. Nicola Madden-Greig, President of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), shared key insights from the joint ForwardKeys and CHTA Caribbean Trends Report, revealing that international arrivals are expected to surpass 2019 levels by 13% in the first half of 2024, a significant milestone for Caribbean tourism.

Several important reports were launched during the forum, including the Caribbean Tourism Artificial Intelligence Transformation Guide, the Caribbean Tourism Industry Performance and Outlook Report, and the Caribbean Construction Report. These reports will be available in the CHTA's online community following the event.

One highlight was the tourism economic impact report, which revealed crucial data on tourism's contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In 2019, tourism contributed 10.4% to the global GDP, while in the Caribbean, it reached 13.7%. By 2023, these numbers adjusted to 9.2% globally and 11.5% in the Caribbean. Projections for 2032 are encouraging, with expectations of a 11.6% global contribution and a 14.2% contribution in the Caribbean. Additionally, the report highlighted that employment in the travel and tourism sector represented 9.6% of global employment in 2023, while in the Caribbean, this percentage was significantly higher, reaching 15.2%.

Nicola Madden-Greig emphasized the vibrant energy and collaborative effort that have propelled the Caribbean forward, underscoring the need to reflect this vitality in the tourism brand, celebrating the region's natural resources and, above all, its people.

Adam Stewart, Executive Chairman of Sandals Resorts, highlighted career opportunities in tourism during a panel discussion titled "Integrated Tourism: Development and Opportunities." Stewart emphasized that, while traditionally tourism jobs were associated with roles like waiters and housekeepers, the industry has evolved significantly. Today, tourism offers opportunities in project management, finance, information technology, and new areas related to artificial intelligence.

Stewart also pointed out how tourism benefits the economy overall, describing it as an ecosystem that includes restaurants, entertainment, tours, transportation, agriculture, and fishing. "Tourism sustains all aspects of the industry as a whole," he told the Observer.

Jamaica's Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett, also addressed public perception of tourism, emphasizing that his ministry has implemented training programs that will provide workers with the qualifications needed for higher wages. "We are no longer a seasonal tourism: we work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and we need to create and train people to serve, do it well, and add value every step of the way," Bartlett said.

The minister also highlighted the importance of training and certification to enhance the capacity of tourism workers, collaborating with institutions such as the American Hotel and Lodging Education Institute and the American Culinary Federation to provide recognized certifications.

The Caribbean Travel Marketplace 42 not only provided a platform to showcase the progress and future plans of Caribbean destinations but also fostered collaboration and idea exchange among tourism industry leaders. This event continues to be a fundamental pillar for the growth and promotion of tourism in the region, creating significant opportunities and reinforcing the economic importance of tourism in the Caribbean.

Destinations that provided press conferences with updates:

• St. Lucia Tourism Authority
• Experience Turks and Caicos
• U.S. Virgin Islands
• The Bahamas
• Jamaica
• St. Kitts
• Cayman Islands
• Anguilla Tourist Board
• St. Martin Tourist Office
• Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority
• Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc.
• interCaribbean