MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica - DESPITE ongoing crime and violence issues across the Caribbean, visitor numbers and spending continue to rise.
This was highlighted by the President of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), Nicola Madden-Greig, during the 42nd Caribbean Travel Marketplace. Madden-Greig emphasized that the impact of crime on tourism is minimal, with safety and security concerns affecting less than 0.0001 percent of visitors.
"Our region is doing extremely well," she stated, referencing a MasterCard report indicating high safety perception scores in the high 80s and 90s. "So our region is extremely safe. We have been welcoming visitors and they have been having a fantastic time."
Madden-Greig underscored the importance of promoting the region as a hospitable and service-oriented destination for visitors worldwide.
Despite an influx of guns from the United States leading to increased gun violence in countries like Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and St. Kitts and Nevis, the impact on tourism remains limited. The rise in crime has led to travel advisories from the U.S. State Department for several Caribbean territories, including Jamaica and the Bahamas.
The outgoing CHTA president acknowledged the domestic challenges but reiterated that their impact on tourism is negligible.
“ We do have incidents from time to time," noted Madden-Greig
The Caribbean has seen an increase in tourist arrivals compared to the same period last year.
