The Caribbean is likely set for an “impending surge of arrivals and continued growth,” according to Nicola Madden-Greig, president of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association. 

And that means the region’s hotel industry will need to ramp up efforts to be adequately staffed to meet that new demand. 

Madden-Greig, pointing to a recent statement from the World Travel & Tourism Council which predicted a “massive increase in global inbound travel,” said the region must do more to “source and train its own people to meet the industry’s growing labor needs.” 

The recent statement from WTTC and CHTA knowledge partner ForwardKeys points to strong demand in the months ahead for travel to ‘sun and sea’ destinations such as the Caribbean and Latin America, which are leading international inbound bookings,” said Madden-Greig.

She also pointed to the need to re-energize the partnerships between schools, training institutions and the tourism industry put in place by many Caribbean jurisdictions in the past which “played a critical role in creating employment and career opportunities for thousands of residents throughout the region.”

The CHTA has set up a tourism job bank for precisely that purpose, she said. 

“Our tourism job bank is an excellent, free resource for both employers and job seekers,” stated Madden-Greig, who encouraged Caribbean residents in search of tourism-related positions to upload their resumes and credentials to the site where they can be reviewed by prospective employers looking for qualified applicants. (You can find more here). 

“As an industry, we need to ensure that all stakeholders understand the tremendous economic benefits that can accrue from engagement with the hospitality sector,” she said.