From left: Clarity Media Founder Lee Hall, The Bahamas Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investment and Aviation Chester Cooper, Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett and Cayman Islands CTO Chairman and Minister of Tourism and Ports Kenneth Bryan.
NEW YORK – Artificial Intelligence (AI) was a major focus at the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s (CTO) Caribbean Week in New York. The Ministerial Forum explored the use of AI in tourism development. During the discussion, Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett highlighted that the technology will be the new frontier for Caribbean tourism. Furthermore, AI needs to be properly leveraged to enable more seamless collaboration within the industry.
Speaking at a ministerial forum titled “Harnessing Artificial Intelligence” held at the Intercontinental Hotel in New York on Tuesday, the minister said: “Humanity has always created ways to do things better. AI forms part of this era of doing things better through the application of technology. We are at an exciting time in the history of tourism. If harnessed properly, it can improve processes and ultimately help us make more targeted and strategic decisions.”
“Tourism workers are at the heart of our industry and must be at the forefront of driving new tourism change, including artificial intelligence. They must be trained to understand the needs of the industry so they can adapt and respond,” Minister Bartlett added.
The Ministerial Panel was part of the CTO Caribbean Week programming and included The Honourable Chester Cooper, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investment and Aviation of the Bahamas, The Honourable Kenneth Bryan, CTO Chairman and Minister of Tourism and Ports of the Cayman Islands, and Lee Hall, Founder of Clarity Media.
“AI will provide pre-travel information so potential customers can experience a destination before booking, so through training we need to be prepared to promote the integrity and uniqueness of our products and services in advance so that when visitors arrive they get the experience they’ve been promised,” Minister Bartlett said.
The panel agreed that it is crucial for Caribbean countries to explore ways to leverage AI to develop local industries. As tourism evolves into a more vibrant sector, AI can be used to improve the region’s attractiveness and, in turn, attract more visitors.
“Jamaica is already embracing new technologies to increase the efficiency of its tourism product by answering questions in real time with AI chatbots on its website, enabling tourism content in the metaverse and exploring the use of media mix modelling,” the minister added.
Minister Bartlett, along with senior tourism executives, is on a multi-city marketing offensive in the U.S. covering New York, Chicago and Dallas, including participation in CTO Caribbean Week, meetings with airline partners and major media interviews.
