Robin Hayes to headline Curacao conference
By Dana Niland
CJ Contributor
JetBlue President and CEO Robin Hayes will deliver the keynote address at the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO)’s 2015 State of the Industry Conference in October.
The announcement comes as JetBlue has been embarking on a significant expansion push throughout the Caribbean region.
“As chief executive of a leading airline between the United States and the Caribbean, I look forward to joining the Caribbean Tourism Organization in Curaçao this October to discuss all the exciting developments in this vibrant part of our network,” Hayes said in a statement. “Aviation is the lifeblood of Caribbean tourism and we are delighted to be part of the community in 30 destinations across the region.”
After 19 years of working with British Airways, Hayes joined JetBlue in 2008 and served as executive vice president and chief commercial offer prior to his appointments as president and CEO in 2014 and 2015, respectively.
“Our members will be pleased to welcome Robin Hayes as our keynoter for this valuable conference. His insights will add an interesting and exciting dimension to the event and will help to illustrate how partnership and innovative thinking can produce steady, sustainable growth within our industry,” said CTO Secretary General, Hugh Riley.
The conference, held this year under the theme Caribbean Tourism: Growth Through Innovation, brings together tourism leaders from across the Caribbean, including ministers, directors of tourism, hotel and airline executives, travel agents, and the media.
Curaçao’s Ministry of Economic Development and the Curaçao Tourism Board will be leading the organization efforts, with support from the World Travel and Tourism Council and the United Nations tourism agency, the World Tourism Organization.

The conference takes place Oct. 21-23.