BRIDGETOWN, Barbados --- The Caribbean Tourism Organization and the
Caribbean Hotel Association drafted an Emergency Response
Management and Communications Plan in case of a war in Iraq.
The plan grew out of a series of high-level meetings with
government ministers and directors of tourism in Trinidad. Those
sessions were followed by an emergency strategy meeting in New York
that was attended by hoteliers, airline officials, tour operators,
and representatives of national tourist offices.
Among the initiatives was a CTO proposal for cancellation and/or
postponement policies -- from individual companies or on a regional
basis -- to protect consumers who cancel trips in the event of war
or a terrorist attack.
The organizations asked airlines to consider a partnership
points program that awards additional bonus miles or a lower
threshold to qualify for free travel.
CTO's Web site at www.onecaribbean.org will feature a Caribbean Response
Center link to post new policies and initiatives.
And, CHA is developing a public relations contingency plan to
underscore the Caribbean's key attributes, including its attractive
climate, proximity to the U.S., safety and family offerings. A
portion of its Web site at www.caribbeanhotels.org will serve as an
information exchange.