History indeed!

Janet Silvera, Coordinator Hospitality Jamaica

TOURISM IS unquestionably the most important economic sector in the wider Caribbean, employing one in four persons and accounting for some US$20 billion (J$1.240 trillion) of foreign exchange earnings.

Now that we are all aware of that fact, I cannot understand why it took the men in the sector so long to decipher that the two most important organisations in the region the Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA) and the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) needed to form an alliance allowing them to conduct negotiations, marketing, promotions, advertising, sales, etc.

It took two of the regions' most dynamic and vibrant women, Berthia Parle, the first female president of CHA and Pamela C Richards, chairman of CTO to break the 'macho' egotistical chain that was going obviously in the wrong direction.

On Sunday, the two signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in which the two organisations have pledged "full cooperation and collaboration between the public and private sectors of the Caribbean tourism industry in order for tourism development to proceed in a coherent, effective and efficient manner.

CTO and CHA plan to collaborate on the following:

* Establishing a business development unit

* Establishing a single consumer website with multiple languages

* Focusing on the economic effects of the industry

* Sharing of immigration card data

* Establishing a single membership site

* Establishing an official Caribbean magazine

* Aggregate media buying

* Increase brand Caribbean awareness through 'Caribbean Inside' campaign

* Establishing Caribbean trade and consumer shows

* Caribbean awards for innovation in tourism

* Consolidate advertising and promotion

* Caribbean banners in newspapers and magazines

* Share visitor views with Local Population

* Deepen linkages

* Interconnect Caribbean economies

* Involve diaspora

I want to publicly congratulate the Secretary-General of the CTO (the man in the middle of the two women), Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace and his team for pulling off this historic signing.