Caribbean Tourism Organization’s New Year’s Message
By Hugh Riley, secretary
general Caribbean Tourism
Organization
As the Caribbean tourism
sector prepares to welcome the
New Year, we look forward to
2019 with a sense of optimism,
excitement and much hope.
We are optimistic because we
are seeing signs that the lows
which Mother Nature imposed
upon us during the latter part
of 2017 into 2018 are being
reversed. We are excited about
our prospects because of the
incredible turnaround that we
are seeing in the most impacted
destinations. And we hopeful
that the progress of our member
countries and supporters
can continue unabated, to
maintain the momentum they
developed since the storms of
2017 when everyone rolled up
their sleeves and got down to
work to build an improved and
more sustainable product.
We are pleased to report that
tourism accommodations are
being rebuilt and reopened,
airports are receiving their full
schedule of flights with the
return of airlines in full force
and the diverse product offerings
within our destinations
are being restored.
At the same time, increases
in the number of available
seats, positive messaging and
promotions in the marketplace
have enabled the unaffected
destinations to register continuous
growth. The demand
among international visitors is
strong and Caribbean nationals
have continued their quest to
explore and enjoy the pleasures
of their neighbouring destinations.
Regarding the cruise sector,
most ports have been repaired
and cruise calls have already
Hugh Riley, secretary general Caribbean Tourism Organization.
returned to normal levels.
Indeed, regional cruise visits
grew in each month since May,
with the region registering
growth of 13.7 percent during
the May to September period
and 17.1 per cent in the third
quarter of 2018.
In October, the region
launched a digital awareness
campaign “The Rhythm Never
Stops” on social media platforms
Contributing Writers: Azad Ali, Tangerine Clarke,
George Alleyne, Nelson King, Vinette K. Pryce, Bert
Wilkinson, Lloyd Kam Williams
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such as YouTube and
Facebook, coinciding with augmented
airlift for the 2018/19
tourist winter season. Travel
professionals and their clients
received the message that the
Caribbean is a resilient region
with an unstoppable resolve to
succeed and to keep on moving
in the right direction.
For 2019, the outlook is
bright for our destinations.
We’re quite excited about
declaring 2019 as the “Year
of Festivals” in the Caribbean.
Simply stated, there’s a rhythm
to the region that cannot be
replicated anywhere on earth.
There’s no escaping the melody
of nature, as gentle breezes and
free-flowing fronds combine
beautifully in perfect harmony;
no getting away from the heavenly
choruses of tides caressing
magnificent world class beaches;
no missing the cadence of
our conversation, the tempo of
our movement.
The Caribbean is a festival
of rhythms and a home of festivals
— music, art, literary,
sailing, lights, food, rum, religious,
dance – all with their
own attractive rhythms.
The Year of Festivals will
focus on the fascinating events
that have become an integral
part of the Caribbean tourism
calendar. Festivals help to
energize communities across
the region, while giving visitors
more reasons to enjoy our
destinations.
Despite all there is to celebrate
in 2019, we must also
approach the New Year with
a degree of caution since
there’s still much work to be
done. While preliminary data
from our member countries
revealed increased demand for
travel to the vast majority of
the 24 reporting countries, and
despite a 9.1 per cent increase
in arrivals in September 2018
when compared to the same
month in 2017, overall our
performance was still down in
2018. A third quarter decline of
3.2 percent made this our best
quarter, and the rate of tourist
arrivals is now expected to slow
to -1.0 per cent to -2.0 percent
- a definite sign that the tide
is turning. Cruise passenger
arrivals are projected to grow
at an accelerated rate of around
6 percent to 7 percent.
Without doubt, our region
is in a stronger position than it
was a year ago. We are encouraged
by the prospect of even
greater collaboration with
our partners in the industry,
including the Caribbean Hotel
and Tourism Association, the
Florida Caribbean Cruise Association,
and a range of travel
professionals and industry
partners who consistently offer
Caribbean holiday experiences
to their best clients. Our
confidence is buoyed by the
progress our region is making
to combine its resources to bolster
our competitive position
internationally. The evidence
is clear that a strong, unified
Caribbean gives the region a
global advantage which individual
member-countries on
their own have little chance of
attaining. The success of our
countries rests upon our ability
to speak as a region with one
strong voice.
On behalf of the CTO Council
of ministers and commissioners
of tourism, the board of
directors, members and staff of
the Caribbean Tourism Organization,
I thank you for all your
commitment, hard work and
support in 2018, and wish you a
New Year of rich blessings and
prosperity.
OP-EDS
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CGID to gov’t: Reject no confidence vote
Dear Editor:
The Caribbean Guyana Institute
for Democracy (CGID) reiterates
to all Guyanese and the
international community that
the Dec. 21, 2018 no confidence
vote against the APNU+AFC
coalition government of Guyana
was unconstitutional. The
vote violated several provisions
of extant law. The coalition
government must embrace all
aspects of the constitution as
well as the will of the people
as expressed in the 2015 elections.
Consequently, we call on
the government to reject the
invocation of Article 106 (6)
and (7) of the Guyana constitution
by the Parliament of Guyana.
This is why the vote was
unconstitutional:
(i) AFC government Member
of Parliament (MP) Charrandas
Persaud who voted with the
opposition PPP for the motion
violated Article 156.3 (a) and
(b) of the Guyana constitution.
Article 156.3 (a) prohibits a
Member of Parliament from
voting against his or her party’s
list or side of the House,
unless he or she declare that
intent in writing to the Speaker.
Article 165.3 (b) Mandates
that if a member declares an
intent to vote against his own
party list he or she ceases to be
a member and must be immediately
be expelled from Parliament.
Charrandas Persaud
failed to declare his intention
to vote against his party’s list
and for another list. His failures
violated both Article 156.3
(a) and (b). His vote is therefore
unlawful and should be vitiated.
He must also be expelled
by the speaker as prescribed in
the law.
(ii)Charrandas Persaud violated
Article 155. 1 (a) of the
Continued on Page 26
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