The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) and MasterCard Worldwide today announced an agreement in which MasterCard has been designated as a Strategic Partner of the Caribbean hospitality industry and is now the “Official Card” of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association.

CHTA Strategic Partners are leading organizations and companies involved in a wide range of industry sectors and activities for the betterment of the Caribbean.  Although these areas of activities may differ, they are all committed to their work in the Caribbean tourism industry.

“We are excited about the addition of MasterCard to our elite group of supporters of the Caribbean hospitality industry,” said Enrique De Marchena Kaluche, president of CHTA.  “MasterCard brings a new strategic focus and dimension to our hospitality industry and will enable our entire membership to, in some way, experience the benefit of their participation.  We are pleased that MasterCard, like our other Strategic Partners, recognizes the importance of tourism and the hospitality sector and our impact on the region’s economy.”

The addition of MasterCard as a Strategic Partner will create opportunities for developing a number of new initiatives with the CHTA membership including hotels, attractions and restaurants.

“MasterCard is at the ‘heart of commerce,’ as is tourism at the heart of the economies of the Caribbean,” said Ricardo Ibarria, head of Acceptance for MasterCard’s Latin America and Caribbean region.  “We are confident that this new partnership with CHTA will further enrich our value proposition in the Caribbean, not only to the members of this prominent organization but also to MasterCard’s stakeholders and to the local tourism industry as a whole.”

“MasterCard believes that during these tough economic times, it is important for the private sector to join forces in developing initiatives that help boost local economies and in this case, the Caribbean tourism industry,” concluded Ibarria.