The International Air Transport Association (IATA) called on governments and other aviation stakeholders in the Caribbean region to work together to maximize the benefits of aviation connectivity.
«Aviation is essential to supporting tourism in the Caribbean region, transporting approximately 50 percent of all tourists who travel here. It also provides a vital lifeline when disaster strikes, as occurred during last autumn’s devastating hurricane season,» said Peter Cerda, IATA’s Regional Vice President, The Americas.
Speaking at Aviation Day Caribbean, organized by IATA, the Caribbean Development Bank and the Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association, Cerda said that aviation supports over 1.6 million jobs and more than $35.9 billion in GDP, equivalent to 14 percent of the total Caribbean economy. «Aviation can do much more if governments work with industry to maximize the value aviation delivers. Unfortunately, too many of the region’s governments still see air travel primarily as a luxury for the wealthy — and an easy target for taxation. Making matters worse, these taxes and fees usually are not spent on boosting the efficiency and capacity of the airport and airways infrastructure, but rather to put money into the treasury,» Cerda said.
