The Caribbean Hotel Association and a European Union agency have just announced the launch of a research study to gauge how much the Caribbean tourism accommodation sector spends on locally-provided goods and services, including its tax contribution to governments.
An agency of the Centre for Development Enterprise of the European Union, PRO€INVEST is helping CHA with the project.
‘Until now, there had been no available data that quantifies and validates how the expenditures of Caribbean lodging establishments find their way into the local economy by supporting directly the wellbeing of workers, local entrepreneurs, professionals, small, medium and large corporations, and other economic sectors – even government revenues that help finance the running of the country,’ said Berthia Parle, MBE, President of CHA.
‘This vacuum exists despite the fact that hoteliers have access to the data necessary to clarify the real value and contribution of their business and the overall accommodations sector to their country; they have in their hands the power to help sensitize attitudes and promote more supportive policies in the best interest of their investment and the destination as a whole,’ added Parle.
PRO€INVEST has contracted Barbadian company Tourism Global, Inc., to undertake the research over the following five months, said a press release from CHA.
‘In line with PRO€INVEST’s focus on the ACP (Africa, Caribbean and Pacific) countries, the study will concentrate primarily on Antigua, Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Guyana, Jamaica, St Kitts & Nevis, and St Lucia. However, CHA will make the research instruments available to other Caribbean destinations that may wish to carry out the research independently,’ said the press release.
In June 2006, during the annual Caribbean Hotel Industry Conference (CHIC), CHA will host a workshop to present the final report to the Caribbean Society of Hotel Association Executives (CSHAE). ‘The Caribbean national hotel associations have been identified to lead the advocacy efforts of the Caribbean hotel sector at the national level with the findings of the study,’ said CSHAE President Susan Springer.
In keeping with CHA’s longstanding goal of strengthening its research base, the study of hotel expenditures is a natural extension of the World Travel & Tourism Council Economic Impact Study that CHA commissioned in 2004, the press release ends.
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