MPE CARIBBEAN REPORT NEWSLETTER

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The MPE Caribbean Report Newsletter offers travel, tourism, Caribbean and global news weekly. To share stories, information or intelligence, contact us at info@marketplaceexcellence.com.

FEBRUARY 27, 2023

Happy Spring Break!

The Marketplace Excellence team wishes all our readers a happy Spring Break season. Thank you for your contributions to our content during a busy start to 2023. We will return on Monday, March 13. Until then, carve out time to rest, recharge and rejuvenate. And if you’re traveling, be sure to choose the Caribbean!

Marketplace Mention

Patricia Affonso-Dass, former president, Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA); Group General Manager, Ocean Hotels Group, Barbados

“CHTA (Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association) comprises 33 island nations across the region – different cultures, languages, cuisines and a phenomenal collection of experiences. Caribbean Travel Marketplace allows us to bring this all together and showcase the region to our partners and the world in a way that is very difficult to do individually.

“Each of our island members is unique, special and compelling, but all together this region represents tremendous value and importance not just to our individual economies, but also to the revenues of the partners who sell the region – both land-based and cruise; the fortunes of our ‘buyers’ and ‘suppliers’ in the region are inextricably linked.

“Caribbean Travel Marketplace has special significance this year in Barbados as it represents and showcases our region’s and association’s ability to transform, change and reinvent to meet the ever-changing needs, demands and realities of this dynamic industry. For only the second time in its 41-year history this event will be hosted in the Eastern Caribbean.

“The new format of the event provides the opportunity for us to not only connect hospitality buyers and suppliers across the region, but as importantly, to highlight the link with artisans, manufacturing, agriculture and the smaller but critically important players that make up the fabric of Caribbean tourism.

“We look forward to welcoming the world to Barbados and our beautiful region – see you at Marketplace 41!”

FCCA, P&O presidents to talk Caribbean cruising

Paul Ludlow, President of P&O Cruises, and Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) President Adam Ceserano will talk cruise tourism during the continuing webinar series on Tuesday, March 7 at 10 a.m. (ET).

Attendees can log in to learn more about P&O’s Caribbean presence and plans as well as Arvia, its newest, largest and most contemporary ship in the region.

Click here to register: https://bit.ly/fccamarchwebinar.

Bold move by Wyndham paying off

BOLD by Wyndham, a new program designed to engage and advance more Black entrepreneurs on the path to hotel ownership, is reaping dividends.

In just over six months, the program has birthed deals for 18 hotels across the U.S., including 10 under its newly launched ECHO Suites Extended Stay by Wyndham brand.

Based on data provided by the National Association of Black Hotel Owners, Operators and Developers (NABHOOD), Black employment in the hotel industry represents nearly 20 percent of all team members in the industry, though less than two percent of hotel owners are Black.

BOLD by Wyndham, which stands for Black Owners and Lodging Developers, was established to address the unique challenges faced by Black entrepreneurs through the scale, relationships and resources of Wyndham.

The program is built around two key pillars: promoting hotel ownership as a vehicle for potential wealth creation and accelerating the path to hotel ownership.

“There’s an immense gap when it comes to the representation of Black hotel owners, which is why it’s crucial that players like Wyndham find and champion new opportunities to drive diversity,” said Galen Barrett, Vice President, Strategic Development, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. “With agreements for nearly 20 hotels in our pipeline, BOLD by Wyndham is proving there is opportunity in our industry for Black entrepreneurs and that our industry will be all the better for it.”

Digital Digest

POP versus IMAP

Whether you are a power user, a professional or a student, everyone interacts with email daily. Emails are set up using two popular protocols: Post Office Protocol (POP) and Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP).

POP downloads messages from a server to your local computer. It allows only one device to access and store emails at a time. Once the emails are downloaded from the server, you can’t make any changes to the emails on the server. POP is an old protocol favoring users that are security conscious, require faster access and use a single device for communication.

IMAP is a more advanced protocol that leaves email on the server and allows users to make changes on the email server. Emails can be accessed on multiple devices and there is synchronization between the server and the email client. On the downside, IMAP is comparatively slower than POP and can cause sync issues and multiple copies of messages.

Reach out to us if you want to know more about best practices related to email protocols.

Medical Moment

World Kidney Day takes place on March 9, 2023.

It is a global campaign that aims to raise awareness of the importance of our kidneys to overall health and to reduce the frequency and impact of kidney disease and its associated health problems.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a leading cause of death and disabilities worldwide, especially in low- and middle-income countries.

In emergencies, people with kidney disease are among the most vulnerable in the population due to their ongoing requirements for consistently coordinated care – care, which is often lifelong and involves complex ongoing treatment. In recent years, the impact of COVID-19 on the health system has placed an added strain on this vulnerable population.

The under-detected and unhindered progression of CKD to kidney failure will most certainly increase the global need for lifesaving costly treatments of dialysis and transplantation.

Policymakers, health care services, governments, industry, and people living with kidney disease and their caregivers, must be prepared for unexpected events to avoid any disruption in access to diagnosis, treatment and care.

MPE Caribbean Report

Caribbean tourism stakeholders are taking to the road and skies for a full-court press in positioning the region as the world’s most desirable year-round warm-weather destination. Learn more in MPE’s Caribbean Report.

Marketplace Excellence Corporation (MPE) is a global public relations, marketing and media company.