Strategy To Support Regional Carriers & Strengthen Caribbean Connectivity

A unified strategy to support regional carriers and strengthen Caribbean connectivity was the key consensus of a ministerial panel at the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s (CTO) State of the Tourism Industry Conference, held today at the Hilton Barbados Resort.

Tourism ministers and commissioners from Belize, Tobago, Antigua & Barbuda, Turks & Caicos Islands, Grenada, and the U.S. Virgin Islands discussed airlift, ferry services, climate resilience, and sustainable tourism. However, the dialogue centred largely on the high cost of regional travel and the need for immediate, solution-driven action.

It was noted that taxes, tariffs, and operational expenses drive up airfares, and that measures such as code-sharing and mileage systems could help improve affordability.

Antigua & Barbuda’s Minister of Tourism, Charles Fernandez, stated: “Yes, taxes are an issue, and I know that there are couple of islands that have reduced their taxes. I think that whatever we do in the Caribbean should be more harmonised….  It is something that our heads need to work together and decide we all [are] going to do it, and then that would be a lot easier.”

Secretary of Tourism, Tobago House of Assembly, Councillor Tashia Burris, agreed, stressing the need to back regional carriers.

“Many of us are paying out of our nose for airlift. That is true…. And if we call ourselves one Caribbean, and we have a number of carriers in the region, whether it be an interCaribbean, a LIAT, whether it be a Caribbean Airlines…I believe that Caribbean governments should take the stance that we are going to support our regional carriers. We need to support regional, and that is the first step that has to be taken.”

Turks & Caicos Minister of Tourism, Zhavargo Jolly, added: “We are the heads of tourism for each of our countries, and when we sit in the room, we have the opportunity to talk around problems, or…to make decisions that solve the problem. We have the opportunity to speak as a collective…. When you talk to one of us, you speak to all of us, one Caribbean aspect, and that provides leverage.”

The session concluded with a proposal to present Caribbean heads of government with a document outlining solutions to regional travel costs, harmonised tax policies, and stronger carrier collaboration. It also called for strategies to promote sustainable tourism practices and for the Caribbean Tourism Organization to lead regional coordination.

Author: Sheena Forde-Craigg