communities. Destang appointed former CHTA president Nicola Madden-Greig to lead this initiative, bringing together manufacturers, purchasing managers, and arts sector representatives to develop comprehensive sourcing strategies. “I basically think that if tourism is not having an economic impact on all different sectors, then it’s not sustainable,” Destang explains. “Sustainability is not just about checking off some things on a checklist for a Green Globe audit.” The approach emphasizes practical economic integration through local procurement wherever possible. “One of the criteria that we do very well in is our linkages to the economy, sourcing locally, whether it’s produce, furniture, wherever you can, local manufacturers.” The strategy addresses a fundamental challenge facing Caribbean tourism.“It’ll be very hard to sustain and get the support of the local populace if the average person isn’t feeling the impact of tourism,” Destang notes. Additionally, the Caribbean Travel Forum provides a platform for addressing regional connectivity challenges that hinder intra-Caribbean business. “I can’t go to Jamaica directly, I have to go to Miami, fly over Jamaica to Miami and fly back and overnight,” Destang explains, highlighting infrastructure barriers that the association actively works to resolve through public-private sector collaboration. PROTECTING CARIBBEAN INTERESTS CHTA’s advocacy efforts have delivered measurable economic victories for the Caribbean tourism sector, with recent successes including preventing tax policy changes that could have devastated hotel operations and securing exemptions from costly shipping regulations. “Within weeks of my presidency, we were aware that in the Dominican Republic, the government had made a recommendation to withdraw tax incentives for all businesses, including tourism businesses, which would’ve had a tremendous impact,” Destang explains. The association mobilized quickly with research-backed advocacy. “We found out about it on a Wednesday. We had a statement in Spanish supported by research advocating for them to keep the tax incentives. By Thursday we had an English version, and on Friday and Saturday afternoon, we found out that the tax bill had been withdrawn.” CHTA’s advocacy includes US trade policy affecting Caribbean operations. The association successfully lobbied against hefty fees proposed for ships built in China, which would have dramatically increased shipping costs to the region.“Through our lobbying efforts and working with Caricom and local shipping companies based in the US itself in Florida, we were able to get an exemption for the Caribbean from that,” Destang notes. 56 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN VOLUME 12, ISSUE 09
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