The Caribbean will see a rapid return of tourism to the region, according to Pablo Torres, the new president of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association. 

The region will see tourism come back “faster than many parts of the world,” Torres said, pointing to the protocols and partnerships implemented throughout the region since the onset of the pandemic. 

“Tourism is our key to recovery, to restoring the livelihood of thousands of employees in our industry, to reopening our doors, and welcoming our guests,” he said. 

Tourism would also renew the “minds, bodies and spirits of millions of travelers who will discover that the Caribbean is the best place on earth to recover from the ravage of this pandemic,” the CHTA leader said. 

The Caribbean’s aggressive, rapid response to the pandemic early on has helped contain the spread of the virus in the region more effectively than other parts of the world, he said, saluting the region’s “countless health heroes” who have helped set the stage for what he saw as the economic recovery the region would soon begin to see. 

“You have led by example, providing exemplary services while adhering to essential health safety protocols. We are all in debt to your service,” he said. 

— CJ