Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1459281
B M & T ••• March/April 2022 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 39 faster recovery rates justified moves by the British and American governments to reduce the isolation periods. Madden-Greig commended Caribbean Governments for restraining from closing borders and restricting travel. "Gov- ernment policies coupled with the efforts of health and tourism officials to enforce health safety protocols," she contended, "have resulted in the restoration of employment and airlift to near pre-pandemic levels, higher vaccination rates for tourism- related employees, and low positivity test result rates for trav- elers, preventing massive business failures which would be detrimental to our long-term recovery." Reinforcing the critical need to continue to adhere to health safety protocols and increase vaccination levels for Caribbean residents and visitors, Madden-Greig applauded the region's governments, health officials, and the tourism industry for the proactive and effective measures, which have been put in place and resulted in the region's tourism industry recovering faster than any other area of the world. She cautioned that "overreaction over the coming critical weeks can reverse the progress we've made towards recovery." Commenting on the importance of regional harmoniza- tion for entry, testing and isolation/quarantine require- ments, she cited reports of continued confusion in the mar- ketplace about having many and varied requirements by Caribbean governments. This confusion, she cautioned, is a deterrent to travel and is slowing the recovery. The CHTA leader urged greater collaboration by Caribbean govern- ments to align entry, testing and isolation and quarantine policies. Citing the cost and availability of COVID-19 PCR tests, which can add US$600 to travel costs for a family of four, CHTA recommended that antigen tests approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) be accepted for entry. The Bahamas, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Jamaica and the U.S. Virgin Islands accept antigen tests and have not report- ed higher infection rates among tourists. To help reduce the high cost of PCR tests, the association recommended greater flexibility in sourcing the test as local health authorities work with suppliers to reduce the cost. In closing, the CHTA president reminded the CARICOM head that "well-balanced precautionary and preventive actions have successfully steered our economies towards recovery and must continue to do so." CHTA REMEMBERS LATE TOURISM PIONEER JEAN HOLDER The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) is saluting the late Jean Holder for his pioneering work in establishing tourism as the major economic driver for the region. Nicola Madden-Greig, President of CHTA, said Holder was a skilled diplomat who quickly recognized the impor- tance of tourism to the fledgling economies of small island developing states in the region. "His finely honed academic instincts allowed him to clear- ly see that many of our Caribbean countries could not enjoy full independence without economic independence from their former colo- nial overlords, so he moved quickly to find ways of ensur- ing tourism was expanded to free our nations from an over-reliance on for- eign aid," said Madden-Greig. She recalled Holder's leadership and diplomatic skills were brought to bear as Secretary General of the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), where he worked closely with governments to ensure tourism was accorded priority in the development plans of the Caribbean countries and territories. Vanessa Ledesma, CHTA's acting CEO and Director General, said: "From the moment I entered the Caribbean tourism space Jean Holder was always a key figure in our region's bread-and-butter industry, and for three decades, he effectively led CTO and its predecessor organization, the Caribbean Tourism Research and Development Centre, and reached out to connect with those of us in the private sector." Frank Comito, a veteran Caribbean tourism execu- tive and former CEO and Director General of CHTA, lauded Holder for successfully using his diplomatic and political skills to underscore to leaders the critical importance of ensuring tourism was not only developed as the leading generator of wealth for the region, but also that it was developed sustainably to ensure the people of the region and their environments could ben- efit. "Jean Holder, along with his private sector counter- part, John Bell, then CEO and Director General for the then Caribbean Hotel Association, broadened the devel- opmental approach to Caribbean tourism beyond mar- keting, and set the stage for collaboration between the region's governments, the private sector, and internation- al organizations on a range of developmental matters. He left an indelible mark on the Caribbean and tourism, and today we all benefit from his stewardship," said Comito.