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7 B M & T ••• May/June 2015 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com value which National Hotel Associations can bring to the table in helping to drive economies through tourism. Our visit to The Bahamas is part of a deliberate effort to learn from the successes and the challenges at the local level as we seek to broaden public-private sector collaboration locally and regionally and identify issues and best and worst practices which can assist public and private stakeholders in our improvement efforts." Addressing BHTA members, Lee advis ed that the foundation for a viable and sustainable public-private sector effort must be grounded in transparency, trust, dialogue, common measurable goals, and a recognition that the currencies which motivate the public and private sectors differ. He emphasized that through collaboration the end common goals of building strong and competitive tourism driven economies, creating employment, and increasing tax revenue can be realized. During the membership meetin g BHTA President Stuart Bowe and others led discussions on key areas of the association's work including taxation, airlift, energy efficiency, education and training, and culinary development, all points where some level of public-pri- vate sector collaboration underpins the success of the organization's initiatives and the destination's value. Lee also met with Bahamas Tourism Minister The Hon. Obie Wilchcombe. A second meeting was scheduled during his visit at the Minister's invitation to discuss in detail and expand upon areas of mutual interest from their first visit. Lee said: "Our discussions were very fruitful. The Minister's enthusiasm and commitment to region- al collaboration is encouraging. CHTA looks forward to continuing to draw upon his ideas and leadership." CARIBBEAN CORNER With a 20 percent increase in visitor arrivals from the U.S., the first quarter of 2015 illustrates strong growth for Trinidad & Tobago's tourism sector. The U.S. market makes up nearly 40 percent of all trav- elers to the destination and has shown the largest growth over the same period in 2014. Spearheaded by Trinidad & Tobago Tourism Development Company's (TDC) U.S. public relations and marketing firm, Cheryl Andrews Marketing Communications (CAMC), aggres- sive efforts have been set in place to position the dual-island nation as an attractive destination to U.S. travelers who are seeking an authentic cultural experience. "This increase is very promising and we have embarked on a number of activities with a view to continuing this trend for the rest of the year and for years to come," explains Warren Solomon, general manager of Marketing at the Trinidad & Tobago Tourism Development Company. "We are pleased with the continuous aggressive efforts and results our marketing and PR team has garnered and plan to ramp up our campaigns in this market as the year pro- gresses." As part of the ongoing process to show- case the destination in the coming months, PR and marketing events include niche press trips, promotional roadshows and trade events. Sponsored by Trinidad & Tobago Convention Bureau, the TDC will target meeting planners in May with presentations taking place in Atlanta, Washington D.C. and New York City as part of the initiative to highlight the diversity of the destination to accommodate groups for meetings and conventions. Also in May, Trinidad & Tobago will host a culinary press trip to highlight the complete, rich gastronomic her- itage of the destination. TRINIDAD & TOBAGO SEES 20 PERCENT INCREASE IN VISITOR ARRIVALS FROM UNITED STATES CHTA President Emil Lee and CHTA CEO Frank Comito (pictured left) attended a recent meeting of the Bahamas Hotel and Tourism Association Warren Solomon "Commitment and collaboration between the public and private sec- tors at an unprecedented level is essential if the Caribbean is to realize the potential which tourism presents in elevating and transforming the economies of the region and generating employment at all levels," stated Emil Lee, president of the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA). These observations were reaffirmed during a recent visit to The Bahamas by Lee where he addressed members of the Bahamas Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA) and met with leaders from the public and private sectors. Commenting on his visit, President Lee stated: "CHTA believes in the CHTA President Emil Lee Underscores Need for Collaborationon Tourism to Strengthen Region's Economies Pictured (l-r) CHTA President Emil Lee, Bahamas Tourism Minister The Hon. Obie Wilchcombe, and CHTA CEO Frank Comito.