Travel Guru Doug Lansky to headline Caribbean Forum in Miami

The annual event, now in its fifth year, welcomes more than 400 hospitality and tourism professionals from the Caribbean and The Americas and features expert speakers and presenters on timely travel and tourism topics.

Lansky, a travel author and editor, is a tourism development leader who advises destinations and tourism companies in a number of countries on strategic branding, marketing, the visitor experience, industry trends and sustainability. His 20 years of writing experience spans publications ranging from National Geographic Traveler through The Guardian, Lonely Planet and Skift.

“We welcome Doug to CHIEF to share with us his insights on how hoteliers, tourism businesses and destinations in the region can adapt and implement strategies to improve their competitiveness in an ever-changing industry,” said Frank Comito, Director General and CEO of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), producers of the annual event.

This year’s lively and informative agenda focuses on tourism’s trending topics, including adapting to new booking solutions, maintaining a productive environment in a multigenerational and diverse cultural workplace; what’s hot and trending in food and beverage; what guests are seeking in a Caribbean vacation today; trends, opportunities and challenges facing businesses and the region over the next five years; and understanding guest diversity to more effectively market and maximize return on investment.

General sessions, which include speakers and panelists from top-tier travel brands, will focus on “Tomorrow’s Talent Today: The Dynamics of Human Capital”; “Turning Imagination into Reality: What Guests will be Seeking in a Caribbean Vacation”; “Who’s Got Umami and How Can I Get Some?” and “Cannabis to Crypto – Are you Ready for What’s Next?”

The CHIEF 2019 theme is “Vision 2024: Embracing Change, Diversity and Growth”, which looks at the future of the travel industry, its effects on the Caribbean and discusses how industry partners can work together to face the challenges ahead.
Comito adds that a hallmark of CHIEF is engagement: “Sessions are structured to be lively and fun, with a healthy interchange among panelists and the audience. This will invigorate participants and stimulate greater networking, one of the key benefits and objectives of CHIEF”.

CHIEF is one of three CHTA events scheduled in June. Taste of the Caribbean, also taking place at Hyatt Regency Miami from June 21-25, 2019, features top culinary teams from more than a dozen Caribbean nations and territories as they compete for recognition and awards. In addition, CHTA shares their talent through its signature cultural celebration, entitled Caribbean305, to be held on Saturday, June 22, 2019 in Miami.

This year’s CHIEF host sponsor is Interval International, while Platinum sponsors include Figment Design, Marketplace Excellence, MasterCard, OBMI and STR. Gold sponsors are 7 Pillars of Digital Marketing, ADA International, Arrivalist, Aruba – a Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company, Caymera International, Oracle Hospitality, SportsArt, TravelClick, Travel Relations, TravPro Mobile, Tropical Shipping, and WineSchool3.