Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1152980
B M & T ••• July/August 2019 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 45 Comito said the region had recovered well from the twin hurri- canes that hit some Caribbean destinations with devastating conse- quences for the sector in 2017. However, while recovery was quick and strong in many destinations, he lamented that the region has more than 80,000 vacant hotel rooms every night. Stressing the need to boost bookings, he said that filling just 10 percent of the vacant rooms "would inject nearly US$2 billion annually into the region." While the vast majority of Caribbean destinations affected by the storms have bounced back, Comito observed that typically a crisis causes lingering losses as a destination falls back from its pre- vious growth path. "Even after a destination returns to its pre-crisis level, 'losses' can continue to mount as it lags behind its previous growth trendline," he noted. Year-to-date performance data from six of the region's destina- tions recovering from the 2017 twin hurricanes points to a faster than anticipated turnaround, with most hotels upgraded and reopening and international air arrivals approaching pre-hurricane levels. Comito commented: "This exceeds our expectations and speaks well to the industry's resiliency." Overall, the Caribbean has experienced an exceptional 2019 thus far, according to Comito, with air arrivals and hotel perform- ances exceeding the global average. He cautioned that downturns are cyclical and that the industry must be better prepared to miti- gate their impact. He presented charts showing the industry's per- formance over 20 years, illustrating what has happened to visitor arrivals, hotel occupancies and hotel rates when faced with reces- sions, major hurricanes and a periodic health threat like Zika.