Caribbean bracing for tourism decline

WAR COULD help to bring the Caribbean closer together, tourism officials said yesterday as the workshop on Sustainable Tourism began at the headquarters of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS).

The effect of war is not on the agenda but ACS director general Norman Girvan urged participants to discuss the issue before the workshop comes to a close today. Caribbean countries are now beginning to recover from the decline brought about by the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Girvan said after the attacks, Caribbean countries dealt with the effects by themselves, as did Latin American countries. This time, he added the ACS as a body should deal with the problems. Earlson McPhee, Bahamas’ senior manager, sustainable tourism, said while the war will hurt tourism in the region, it will also present an opportunity for the Caribbean to work together to find solutions. “Since 9/11, resources have been channelled into short term strategies but this is a strength for the Caribbean as a whole. The terrorist attacks brought us together. In the long run it will be good,” he said.

The Bahamas has already developed a plan to deal with the fallout but McPhee said he could not say how badly Bahamas will be affected. Visitors from the US make up a large portion of that country’s tourism. “A lot will depend on how they view air travel.” Cuban Ambassador to the ACS Felix Rojas said while the war will affect the region as a whole, Cuba is hoping its tourism sector is not hit too badly. The majority of its tourists come from Canada and Europe. “That’s something that will help a lot,” he said, adding that so far, flights to Cuba have not stopped. Jamaican High Commissioner to Trinidad, Lorne McDonnough said the Caribbean is considered a safe destination but the war will still affect people’s willingness to fly. “Obviously people fearing to fly will affect us. The Caribbean might be viewed as a safe haven since in Jamaica and other countries in the Caribbean terrorism is not part of our daily life but you have to get on a plane to come here,” he said. “We just have to hope that the war is not an extended one.”