American Express announced a renewal of its commitment to actively support Caribbean Marketplace 2006 and 2007, one of several initiatives they have targeted to…
American Express announced a renewal of its commitment to actively support Caribbean Marketplace 2006 and 2007, one of several initiatives they have targeted to help to market the region as a tourist destination. The help is part of the company’s longstanding commitment as a Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA) affiliate to promote effective sales and marketing efforts to benefit CHA members and the travel and tourism industry in general.
“As in any other business, the return on investment (ROI) of our efforts for its beneficiaries is a fundamental consideration,” said Dianelys Rodriguez, Vice President of Strategic Partnership & Caribbean Market Head, American Express Travel Related Services. “Given our commitment to maximize the support available for the Caribbean, Caribbean Marketplace has become the hub of our support in sales and marketing. The event needs no positioning – it is indisputably the single most important regional tourism marketing event every year – and our support seeks to ensure it continues to grow and evolve,” she concluded.
Rodriguez added that parallel Amex initiatives – such as ‘Beyond the Beach,’ a marketing platform that promotes the Caribbean’s diversity of offerings in addition to sun and sea; and the sponsorship of a joint CHA/CTO consumer website still in the planning stages – are designed to complement its collaboration with CHA.
Support for the 2006 and 2007 Caribbean Marketplace is another example of American Express’ longstanding support for the region. American Express has worked over the years both in front and behind the scenes, supporting a diversity of marketing and product development programs for the Caribbean hospitality and tourism industry, in conjunction with the CHA. Longstanding initiatives have addressed issues such as environmental stewardship, safety and security, and training and education, with the sponsorship of projects ranging from the scholarship program of the Caribbean Hotel Foundation, the Hurricane Preparedness Manual and Workshop, and the Small Hotels Operators Reference Manual, among others.
American Express celebrates its relationship with CHA with a strong portfolio of joint initiatives that seek to strengthen the Caribbean brand, worldwide, while contributing to the development of the Caribbean hospitality workforce, fostering sustainability, supporting research, and advocating awareness.
Research and Development
“The development of the Caribbean tourism product ranks second to none in significance,” said Berthia Parle, MBE, CHA President. “This includes, beyond infrastructure, the investment in the human resource capacity of the Caribbean – the glue that holds it all together.” Parle added that future success is irrevocably tied to ensuring the Caribbean people also reach their full potential.
One of American Express’ most recent contributions, and possibly the most significant in terms of impact on the Caribbean tourism industry, was the funding of a regional study, commissioned by CHA and carried out by the World Travel and Tourism Council in 2004. The report presented the most comprehensive analysis of the tourism satellite account for the Caribbean ever undertaken. Beyond the statistical data, the report goes on to present policy recommendations to overcome critical challenges and ensure the long-term sustainable development of Caribbean travel and tourism, with maximum benefits for all stakeholders.
“The study found, among other things, that the broader Travel & Tourism Economy is expected to 17.1 per cent of total employment in the region by 2014,” said Rodriguez. “Once again, American Express looked at the impact of supporting the development of the human resource – versus the detrimental effect on the industry of not sustaining such an endeavor. It was clear this was an area that called for dedication and resources, with benefits for all stakeholders from the employees themselves, to the hotel sector, the industry, and American Express.”
As a result, American Express has expanded its collaboration with CHA in delivering substantial training programs at all staff levels throughout 2006. In addition, American Express has also allocated significant resources to the Caribbean Hotel Industry Conference (CHIC) 2006, the industry’s forum for the exchange of information and ideas.
Further, in order to foster excellence, Amex and CHA have renewed their plans to continue the tradition of recognizing excellence through the annual awards to the Caribbean Employee of the Year, the Caribbean Supervisor of the Year, the Caribbean Hotelier of the Year, the Large and Small Green Hotels of the Year, and the Caribbean Journalists of the Year for excellence in tourism reporting.
“Without the resources from American Express and the insight and time of its team of professionals, CHA would find it hard to bring to fruition such a depth and breadth of programs,” concluded the CHA President.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
