CHTA highlighted the role played by women in Caribbean tourism

The president of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association affirmed that women in the region do not have the leadership responsibilities they so richly deserve.

Nicola Madden-Greig, President of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), praising International Women’s Day’s focus on “Gender Equality Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow”, said the United Nations theme was particularly apt as COVID-19 subsides in the region due to the special role women play in guiding Caribbean hospitality and tourism during the pandemic.

“Tourism is by far the most dynamic economic engine in the Caribbean and we must recognize the contribution of women in safeguarding and returning our destinations to full economic health,” said Madden-Greig, who heads the sales and marketing department of a great tour company. In Jamaica

“It is time to recognize Caribbean women for their tremendous contributions not only with our appreciation but also with our commitment to ensuring that our women achieve true equality in terms of employment opportunities, compensation and leadership,” she added.

“Many women were on the front lines of the fight to contain the economic ravages of COVID-19, working tirelessly and innovatively, with greatly reduced resources, to ensure that our tourism and hospitality sectors were able to function and resilient enough to survive. reorganize immediately as the pandemic subsided,” he stated.

Thanks to these valiant efforts, the CHTA President, who is Group Sales and Marketing Director at The Courtleigh Hospitality Group, recalled that tourism, which employs more women than men, has traditionally been the economic sector that recovers the fastest. quickly after the crises, “but existing inequalities mean that the region is not taking full advantage of its main economic breadwinner because women do not have the leadership responsibilities they so richly deserve.”

Madden-Greig, who last year received Jamaica’s prestigious Order of Distinction, argued that while there are a small number of women in leadership positions in tourism, they deliver outstanding results and make effective changes to ensure that the country’s tourism product Caribbean remains among the most desired. offerings in the world.

“We know that diversity builds strength, resilience and higher productivity in organizations, so the long-awaited rise of women into more leadership roles in tourism will only help our region not just recover from devastating storms, the devastating COVID-19 pandemic and the impacts of climate change, but also to thrive in a new world with new possibilities,” he said.

“We have the best responses, skills and benefit from the strength of this global crisis brought by women, and it is in our best interest to ensure that women’s perspectives are integrated into policy planning and implementation at all levels of the pandemic, our recovery and our continued advancement of global tourism,” he said.

Madden-Greig continued, “We applaud the many pioneering women in tourism who paved the way for today’s acceleration of women into leadership positions throughout the Caribbean, including CHTA’s first female president, Berthia Parle of Saint Lucia, who does more The 15-year-old set the stage for a new era of collaboration between the public and private sectors to raise the stature of the industry and promote tourism development throughout the region.”

Madden-Greig also greeted former presidents Karolin Troubetzkoy of St. Lucia and Patricia Affonso-Dass of Barbados, who “carried the torch and set up a great platform for me to follow.”

“As I continue this fine legacy, I reach out to the next young women leaders to whom we will pass the lipstick and challenge them to align their personal goals to undertake service to their nation and region, build new alliances and work together to advance . the voice of women in tourism in our region and the world.

“Today, we also challenge owners and decision-makers across the region to seek gender balance both at the C-suite level and throughout their organizations with equal compensation and respect for the ideas and contributions of women in the workforce. tourism”, he concluded.