Jorge J. J. Martínez
Continuing our journey through the
Caribbean, we interviewed Nicola Madden-Greig, the first Jamaican-born president
of the Caribbean Hotel &Tourism Association (CHTA) for the period 2021-2023.
Nicola has more than 25 years’
experience in tourism and hospitality, making her a specialist in managing
groups, events and everything MICE-related.
She currently has the position of Group
Director of Marketing &Sales for The Courtleigh Hospitality Group in
Kingston, Jamaica, the largest and most important corporate hotel group in the
country.
“In life one must take things one
step at a time and not become stressed out, because tomorrow is always a new
beginning. Let’s remember that things are always changing, that never ends,”
are the words on which Nicola bases her actions.
Jamaica is taking a leadership role
in the Caribbean MICE industry
The principal strength of Jamaica—and
of the Caribbean in general—is its leisure segment, but there has been growth
in both the corporate and business sectors as well. The county has six areas
with world-class resorts; the capital city, Kingston, offers the majority of extras
in the area of entertainment and culture.
Kingston is considered the “heartbeat
of Jamaica” in the shadows of the majestic UNESCO designated world heritage
site – The Blue & John Crow Mountains.
“We have very good MICE services in
Jamaica, really there’s nothing lacking, and that can be said of the Caribbean
as a whole. We have the most beautiful venues for conventions and exhibitions,
including the Montego Bay Convention Center—one of the largest in the
region—and incomparable incentive programs,” asserted Nicola Madden-Greig.
Challenges and goals faced by CHTA
for the good of the Caribbean
As has been mentioned, the Caribbean
was one of the first regions to resume activity—in collaboration with authorities
and associations—since the pandemic started.
“Despite significant efforts, while there’s
always something more to be done we are content with the pace of recovery which
according to WTTC outpaces other tourism dependent regions in the world”.
Nicola prioritizes the establishment
of new forms of technology while maintaining and increasing programs of
sustainability across the region. Preserving resources is vital, and are supporting
destinations with training, improving overall services and meet spaces
offerings.
“The Caribbean is ready to continue
receiving visitors. We have such a wide variety for the incentives and meetings
market that it’s not enough to visit just one Caribbean destination. If you
choose the Caribbean, you must come at least four times to begin to really
experience it,” she concluded.

Spotlight On: Vicente Ferreyra
Vicente Ferreyra, specialist in sustainable tourism, talks about industry trends and challenges.

Spotlight On: Julia Spangler
Julia Spangler invites event organizers to train as sustainable meetings strategists.