US strikes in Caribbean Sea could slow down tourist arrivals - CHTA

 

There are concerns that continued military strikes by the United States and the Caribbean Sea could lead to a slowdown in tourist arrivals in the region. 

 

Sanovnik Destang, President of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), says the organisation is closely monitoring these developments while echoing the sentiment of leaders in the Caribbean that the region must remain a zone of peace.

 

"It is something that we are watching very closely. It could have an impact, obviously, because sometimes when other parts of the world are in turmoil, it helps parts of the world like the Caribbean that don't have these lot of issues because people still want to travel. It is not that people don't want to travel, but they certainly are not going to want to travel to a part of the world where there is a potential war. And it's something that is worrisome, it is just yet another thing. But Caribbean tourism has always proven to be creative and resilient in the face of any challenge. And this...too shall pass, I suppose. But in the meantime, it is going to cause a bit of disruption if it continues unchecked," he reasoned.

 

Speaking Monday on the Morning Agenda on Power 106, the CHTA president said countries that are heavily dependent on tourism must speak up using diplomatic channels.

 

"It is so hard to say how can you check the actions of a powerful country like the United States, but it is not. Whatever it is we do, we cannot stay quiet about it as a region. We definitely need to make sure that we maintain this zone of peace as best as we can using all of the diplomatic tools at our disposal. And so the private sector is willing to provide all of the information," Mr. Destang maintained.

 

Washington has carried out four operations against alleged drug cartels in September.

 

In the latest deadly strike Friday, US officials said a narco-trafficking vessel off the coast of Venezuela was hit, killing all four persons on board.