This past year reminded us of how resilient our people and our industry are, as a number of the region’s destinations and hotels bounced back from unparalleled destruction in 2017, rebuilding smarter, better and sometimes bigger. We got a peek into the future as over 5,000 new hotels rooms came online regionally in 2018 with over 25,000 more in the construction and planning stages. Existing hotels continue to invest in refurbishments and introducing new services and amenities. We witnessed an unprecedented surge in new airlift into the region, presenting more opportunities to entice travelers to our shores. Investor and government confidence in Caribbean tourism’s future was further buoyed as hundreds of millions of dollars were spent on upgraded and expanded airport facilities.” – Patricia Affonso-Dass, President, Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association

“I am ever conscious that these next four years will pass quickly as well. And I offer to you today my commitment that the years will be used well, in benefit to you and in benefit to the people of (the) Virgin Islands. But today, as I am humbled, I am also very very hopeful. I am hopeful that as we lead the charge in setting course for a brighter Virgin Islands these next four years, we do so united as one people, one government and one territory.” – Albert Bryan, Jr., Governor, U.S. Virgin Islands

“Creating a more resilient marine environment is a critical component to reduce our vulnerabilities to climate change. These regional challenges are best tackled through inter-stakeholder collaboration. I look forward to building awareness of the CCI, its goals and the opportunities presented by this initiative. Investing my time and efforts in this volunteer leadership role is built on my desire to give back to a region which I have called home for many decades.” – Karolin Troubetzkoy, Envoy, Caribbean Challenge Initiative (CCI)

“We built Health City with the idea of transforming health care in the Western Hemisphere. The core of our vision is to make high-level health care more accessible and affordable for more people, who may previously have not had this access. The expansion of our Intensive Care Unit at Health City is another step in the ongoing development of our services to benefit the people of the Cayman Islands, the surrounding region, and international patients from further afield.” – Dr. Devi Shetty, Chairman, Narayana Health and Founder, Health City Cayman Islands

“Trinidad has so many beautiful things, beaches and even the unity displayed during the flooding last year showed our beauty as a people. We take the negative situations and turn them into positive ones. We are happy people.”  – Patrice Roberts, Trinidad and Tobago soca artist (Loop News)

“The secret of joy in work is contained in one word – excellence. To know how to do something well is to enjoy it.” –  Pearl S. Buck, American writer
“Happiness and worry cannot live in the same heart. They don’t like to share the same space.” – Reverend A.R. Bernard Sr., Founder, Senior Pastor and CEO, Christian Cultural Center, Brooklyn, New York

“Quotable Caribbean” is compiled by Marketplace Excellence Corporation, a full-service, integrated marketing agency committed to excellence in the fields of public relations, marketing and media coaching.