In Minister Bartlett’s popular lecture series, he shares his thoughts about the danger of natural disasters for tourism economies. Jamaica’s tourism minister’s vision is way beyond Destination Jamaica and reflects the thoughts of a global leader in the travel and tourism sector.
Bartlett says: “As we all know, tourism and travel are the lifeblood of many economies in developing regions such as the Caribbean, Central America, Asia, and Africa.
It contributes significantly to GDP, creates jobs, and generates foreign exchange earnings. However, developing regions such as the Caribbean and other SIDS are highly vulnerable to natural disasters such as hurricanes. Indeed, hurricanes have long posed an acute threat to sustainable island economies.
Tourism products, which encompass attractions, accommodations, transportation, and services, are particularly vulnerable to hurricanes.
When hurricanes strike, they can cause extensive damage to hotels, resorts, and other accommodations, leading to closures and loss of income for months or even years.
The economic impact extends to the loss of livelihoods of those who depend on tourism. In the aftermath of a hurricane, employees in hotels, restaurants, tour operators, and other tourism-related businesses often face unemployment and financial hardship.
The ripple effects can be felt across entire communities, increasing poverty and social challenges.
Hurricanes also disrupt critical infrastructure such as air and sea transportation, making it difficult for tourists to reach affected destinations. Airports and seaports can be rendered inoperable.
The impact of these natural disasters can be seen in the aftermath of hurricanes such as Maria, Irma, and Dorian, which caused extensive damage to the tourism sectors in several other Caribbean islands, leading to a sharp decline in visitor arrivals and revenue.
The resulting economic losses are often compounded by rebuilding and restoring infrastructure costs. Overall, the economic impact of recent disaster events in the Caribbean serves as stark reminders of our region’s vulnerability and the urgent need for effective hurricane management and recovery strategies.
Hurricanes, as one of the most destructive natural forces, present unique challenges to our tourism sector. The frequency and intensity of these storms have increased, exacerbated by climate change, resulting in greater damage and longer recovery times.
Consequently, the importance of hurricane management, mitigation, and recovery must be balanced.
Effective strategies in these areas are essential to ensuring the resilience and sustainability of our tourism sector.
As defined by IGI Global, tourism resilience involves improving sustainability after ecological or environmental disasters and offers an alternative to sustainable development. It emphasizes destinations’ capacity to quickly recover from shocks, anticipate these shocks, and implement effective measures to prevent or mitigate their impacts.
Building tourism resilience should be a core characteristic of any tourism model. It requires a proactive approach to assessing, monitoring, and tracking all internal and external risks to the tourism product and developing a robust response architecture. This entails significant investments in various areas, including:
- Infrastructure development to withstand natural disasters.
- Human resource training to equip our workforce with the necessary skills and knowledge.
- Research and development to innovate and improve disaster management strategies.
- Product diversification and segmentation to reduce dependency on vulnerable areas.
- Risk mapping to identify and address potential threats.
- The development of sustainable strategies and policies.
- Leveraging transformative technologies to enhance resilience.
- Improving coordination among stakeholders to ensure a unified response.
- Establishing funding models and insurance schemes to support recovery efforts.
- Setting up reliable warning systems to provide timely information and reduce risks.
The challenges we face are multi-faceted and dynamic. Climate change and global warming have led to more severe hurricanes, prolonged droughts, and significant biodiversity and ecological losses. In light of these challenges, the importance of this lecture series cannot be overstated.
It provides a platform for sharing knowledge, experiences, and best practices in hurricane management, mitigation, and recovery. It fosters collaboration among stakeholders and encourages the development of innovative solutions to enhance the resilience of our tourism sector.
As we engage in these discussions, let us remember that building tourism resilience is not a one-time effort but an ongoing commitment. It requires the collective efforts of governments, private sector partners, communities, and individuals. Let us use this opportunity to strengthen our resolve, innovate, and implement strategies that will ensure the sustainability and resilience of our tourism sector for generations to come.
I urge all of you to actively participate, share your insights, and contribute to the development of a more resilient tourism industry.”
Minister Bartlett also has an appeal to those leading and working in the travel and tourism industry:
Together, we can build a future where our destinations survive and thrive in the face of adversity.
