Count Canada among the casualties of the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s (CTO) decision to restructure, including closing its major offices in New York and London.
While Canada was not specifically mentioned in a bombshell statement by the organization on Tuesday, the CTO’s Canadian business development representative Nancy Drolet told Travel Industry Today that she has been informed that her position will end as well when the New York office, to whom she reported, closes in December. The London office will close Jan. 31.
CTO chairman Dominic Fedee stated: “Over the past two decades, there has been much discussion surrounding the promotion and development of tourism in the Caribbean, the world’s most tourism dependent region. While there have been many visions, plans, papers written and philosophies espoused, there has been widespread acceptance that much improvement is needed to elevate tourism development in the region.
“Some of the most discussed aspirations range from marketing the Caribbean as a single brand, more in-depth research, and a greater uniformed approach to policy formulation and product development.
“The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) therefore recognizes that it plays a most essential role in the changes required to achieve the long-held view to enhance tourism’s role as a tool for sustainable development among member states.
“Consequently, we are of the firm view that in order to play a stronger role in the new era of tourism development, we have to reinvent and reposition the organization as a pillar upon which tourism advancement can rest.”
Besides closing its high-profile foreign offices in an effort to “better streamline our operations and finances,” Fedee says the CTO will undertake a comprehensive audit of its Barbados office as well.
And while the CTO admits its actions will “lead to some displacement,” it says significantly reducing operational expenditures will give it more capacity to undertake its key functions of regional marketing, statistics and research, and product development, ultimately creating “a strong revitalization of the organization” and bringing about “opportunity and prosperity for the people of the Caribbean.”
It might be noted that earlier this year CTO secretary general Hugh Riley retired after a decade in the post and has yet to be replaced (Neil Walters is serving as acting secretary general).
As for Canada’s Drolet, the veteran Bolton, Ont.-based tourism exec said she was “stunned” by the move, and despite learning of impending changes during a conference call a week ago, only realized that her 2.5-year tenure in the position would be ending when the CTO statement came out yesterday (Oct. 15).
“I have no idea what they plan to do,” she told TIT, adding, “It’s a shame. We were really gathering momentum in Canada.”
Indeed, at this year’s Caribbean Tourism Marketplace, held Jan. 29-31 in Jamaica, it was reported that Canada outperformed all other Caribbean source markets in 2018 with 3.9 million visits, representing 5.7 percent growth – figures the Caribbean Tourism Organization attributed to a strong economic performance and increased seat capacity to the region.
Overall, the Caribbean received 29.9 million tourist visits in 2018, the second highest on record, surpassed only by the 30.6 million who visited in 2017. However, overall, the region actually declined by 2.3 percent in arrivals – the first decline in nine years and a drop largely attributable to damage to some destinations caused by natural calamities, notably Hurricane Irma in September 2017, which resulted in many visitors staying home or travelling elsewhere.
Still the decline in arrivals was less than forecast and was confined to the first eight months of the year, followed by a significant rebound starting in September that culminated in an almost 10 percent rise in the last quarter of 2018.
Drolet says this fall and winter is shaping up well out of Canada and response at recent consumer and trade shows has been extremely positive. And on Monday, a CTO release stated that one of its members, Saint Lucia, had recorded its best month ever for visitations, led by a 17% year-over-year increase from Canada.
Despite the decision, Drolet says she feels fortunate to have worked with “so many great people,” from tour operators to tourist board staff, and adds, “Hopefully I’ve made a small difference.”
The Caribbean Tourism Organization is the region’s tourism development agency, with 24 Dutch, English, Spanish and French country members and a myriad of private sector allied members. Its vision is to “position the Caribbean as the most desirable, year-round, warm weather destination.”