ST GEORGE’S, Grenada, (CMC) — A senior official of the Canadian Tourism Research Institute (CTRI) is challenging the Caribbean to capitalise on the increase in the number of Canadian visitors coming to the Caribbean especially during the off-season.
Senior Research Associate Jennifer Hendry, addressing delegates attending the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) sponsored State of the Tourism Industry Conference (SOTIC 2017) here said that over the past six seasons, winter season arrivals (November to April) from Canada grew at an average rate of 1.8 per cent.
“At the same time, summer season arrivals grew at an average rate of five per cent. This shift does present an opportunity to further increase the region’s market share during those off-season months.”
Hendry said over two million Canadians have visited the Caribbean for the first six months of this year, representing a 5.2 per cent increase over the corresponding period last year.
However, she noted that the overall increase is not reflective of individual country performances as some countries experienced a decline.
“A few countries are still experiencing ongoing declines in visitation but most destinations have seen increased arrivals so far this year,” she said, adding that the increase in some Caribbean countries such as Cuba and the Dominican Republic is driven by price.
Source : http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/business-report/caribbean-urged-to-pay-more-attention-to-canadian-tourist-market_113731?profile=1056
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