The association calls on stakeholders from the public and private sectors of the Caribbean hospitality industry to continue joining forces to promote inclusion and gender equality.
Responding to this year's theme, "Investing in Women: Accelerating Progress," CHTA President Nicola Madden-Greig, who also serves as Group Sales and Marketing Director for Courtleigh Hospitality in Jamaica, is reinforcing the association's commitment to fostering the next generation of women leaders. Initiatives such as the CHTA Young Leaders Forum are instrumental in providing young professionals across the region with opportunities for growth and development. "With 19 of the 23 participants being women, this program plays a crucial role in inspiring and empowering the next generation of women leaders," said Madden-Greig.
Additionally, he advocated for expanding these types of initiatives throughout the Caribbean to cultivate a more equitable and diverse leadership landscape in the tourism and hospitality industry. "To truly accelerate progress, we must improve support for the development of women, especially women entrepreneurs," she added.
Vanessa Ledesma, Interim CEO and CEO of CHTA, shared her journey as a female leader in the hospitality industry and the influence of incredible female leaders: “I am proud to witness the remarkable female representation in our industry and within CHTA. However, there is still a long way to go as we encourage others to pursue their passion for Caribbean hospitality.”
CHTA, as an organization in its 62nd year, has a recent history of female leadership: four of the last five CHTA presidents were women and numerous national hotel and tourism associations were led by women. In addition to Madden-Greig and Ledesma, CHTA boasts a notable list of female leaders, including former presidents Patricia Affonso-Dass, based in Barbados; Karolin Troubetzkoy and Berthia Parle, from Saint Lucia; Karen Whitt, regional vice president based in Turks and Caicos; Paola Rainieri, 4th Vice President based in the Dominican Republic; and Lisa Hamilton, president of the Caribbean Society of Hotel Association Executives (CSHAE) based in the US Virgin Islands.
By emphasizing the importance of investing in women within the hospitality sector, CHTA continues to champion gender equality and women's empowerment, paving the way for a more inclusive and prosperous industry.
About the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA)
The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) is the Caribbean's leading association representing the interests of national hotel and tourism associations. For more than 60 years, CHTA has been the backbone of the Caribbean hospitality industry. Working with some 1,000 hotel and allied members, and 32 national hotel associations, CHTA is shaping the future of the Caribbean and helping its members grow their businesses. Whether helping address critical issues in sales and marketing, sustainability, legislative issues, emerging technologies, climate change, data and intelligence or finding ways and ideas to better market and manage businesses, CHTA is helping members on the most pressing important issues.