CHA first began in 1959 as a committee of the Caribbean Tourist Association - a public/private sector organization created to promote and market the region - in response to a specific hotel lobby. In 1962, CHA became an autonomous body. �CHA was very much market-focused during its genesis,� explained John Bell, Director General and CEO of CHA. �From the start, airlines controlled access, wholesalers controlled traffic and payments, and hotel reps controlled communications with travel agents, while the hotels themselves were not protected. Our main concern back them was for the hotel sector to regain some measure of control and address these issues as one,� he added.

The understanding that the industry must join forces to be more effective led CHA to the development over the years of a number of programs. Among them: CHA Marketplace is recognized as the most important tourism marketing event of the year for the Caribbean region. 

A database on regional accommodation was developed. Today, the Caribbean Gold Book is the travel agents� most comprehensive reference source to the lodging industry in the region. In 2001, CHA acquired full ownership of Gold Book Publishing, publishers of Caribbean Gold Book. �With the purchase, the Caribbean hospitality industry has taken another important step closer to control of its future,� said Barbadian hotelier Ralph Taylor, president of CHA.

CHARMS, the Caribbean Hotel Association Reservations Management Systems, was created to provide CHA hotels with a global distribution.  Operated by Utell, CHARMS is linked to all major global distributions systems (GDS), giving access to Caribbean hotels from anywhere in the world.  In 2000, CHARMS generated close to US$7 million in business for its member hotels, at an average rate of $131.26 a night.
 

�CHA was helping to direct the course of the industry�s development,� explained John Bell.  The Development of the Caribbean Product:  By the early 1990�s, while marketing still was � and remains to this day � a top priority, there was new concern for product development.  �With so many destinations aggressively seeking a slice of the international tourism pie, the Caribbean could no longer rely on its beauty and climate alone,� said John Bell. �We had to become more professional.�  In response, CHA developed a host of programs: the Caribbean Culinary Federation (CCF) for culinary development, the Caribbean Hospitality Training Institute (CHTI), training and education; the Caribbean Tourism Credentialing Program (CTCP), certification and credentialing; the Caribbean Hotel Foundation, scholarships and grants; and the Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism (CAST), for environmental management, among

John Bell Director General and CEO Bell joined CHA in 1974 when he was appointed the first executive director for CHA and chairman of the Small Hotels Advisory Council.  In 1982, he was appointed to the position of executive vice president where he has helped the membership of the association grow by over 300 percent. In June 1998, CHA changed Bell's title from executive vice president to director general and Chief Executive Officer in order for his position to be recognized by the international tourism community.

As a result of the complete range of initiatives, CHA has become over time the recognized representative of the Caribbean hospitality industry, as well as THE private sector developmental partner by international agencies active in the region, such as the European Union, the InterAmerican Development Bank, the Organization of American States, and the United States Agency for International Development.  �Over the past year, we have worked with CARIFORUM, CTO and the European Union to ensure a significant private sector role in future cooperation packages for Caribbean tourism,� said John Bell.

The Way Forward: 

CHA recognizes that there is much work to be done.  �There have been outstanding critical issues which must be resolved in order to turn around the industry, and maximize benefits,� said Ralph Taylor.  

�Among them,� he said, �are safety and security; tourism and taxation; environmental protection; linkages with other sectors, and investment. To address these, the private and public sectors must work together.�  

As a result, the third phase in CHA�s evolution is Advocacy. 

A significant step in the right direction is the recent Regional Tourism Summit, held in The Bahamas, where the heads of government tourism called for a long-range Master Plan for Tourism, to be developed by a joint public sector-private sector committee by June 2002.  Another significant measure is the plan to revive advertising for the Caribbean as a region in the important USA market.  The campaign is expected to be launched in early March.  �CHA is pleased to be working with the partners in the public sector in driving the effort,� added Taylor.

�Today, CHA is recognized as an industry leader and a model for other regional hotel associations,� declared John Bell.  �We look forward to the new role of CHA in the development of the Caribbean tourism industry in the years ahead,� he concluded.

About the Caribbean Hotel Association: 
CHA is dedicated to excellence in hospitality, leadership in marketing, and sustainable growth in tourism, to the benefit of its membership and that of the wider Caribbean community.  The members of CHA represent the entire spectrum of hospitality industry�s private sector, from over 1,100 member hotels in 34 national hotel associations, to allied members including airline executives, tour operators, travel agents, trade and consumer press, hotel and restaurant suppliers, and others.  CHA is headquartered is in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and maintains an office in Miami, Florida.