…
Members of the Entire Industry
Hotelier Partners,
Governments,
Citizens,
Suppliers,
Employees,
Friends,
As we celebrate World Tourism Day, several of our Caribbean brothers and sisters are homeless, without the basic necessities of life, running and drinking water, food, communication, and electricity that so many of us take for granted. My prayers are with the Government and people that have been devastated by Frances, Charlie, and especially Ivan the terrible, as they seek to rebuild their communities and Islands and return to normalcy. We are deeply saddened by the loss of property and above all, loss of life. Our condolences go out to the bereaved families.
We at the Caribbean Hotel Association have launched a major relief effort for all the affected islands throughout our 36 national hotel associations and 700 allied members in the USA, to bring much needed relief to the thousands of affected residents. We feel your pain as well as your suffering and want you to know that you are not alone at this time of crisis. We must applaud our Associations and allied members like Barbados, Trinidad, Miami, St.Lucia, our strategic partners, and several other members and corporate citizens who literally within hours of the passage of Ivan, moved into high gear to raise much needed funding and supplies for our brothers and sisters in need; technical assistance, airlift and free accommodation to our Caribbean visitors.
It is my fervent wish that this amazing Caribbean spirit of partnerships, cooperation, generosity, caring, sharing and collaboration will continue and be reinforced well into the foreseeable future, to ensure our tourism industry`s successful development for the well being of all the people of our region.
We must, in the words of the Secretary General of the WTO and the IOC President, build bridges of understanding between different cultures, life styles and traditions.
We must promote peace and goodwill among nations, and all our Caribbean islands, and certainly motivate and inspire our young people, and continue to provide entertainment and enjoyment, thereby relieving the pressure of the daily lives of all our visitors and citizens.
I urge our tourism and private sector to continue to expand our corporate social responsibility programs to eliminate poverty through sustainable tourism initiatives and to give generously to the several relief efforts.
The importance of travel and tourism to the Caribbean is indisputable. It is in fact the only viable economic sector of the region, in spite of the adversities being experienced by some of our islands. However, we remain adamant that the industry`s potential is a long way from being tapped and both Government and the private sector will have to overcome a number of challenges to ensure sustainable long term growth.
In 2004, travel and tourism is expected to contribute 14.8% of the Caribbean GDP and accounts for 2.4 Million jobs, representing 15.5% of total employment. The WTTC forecasts total employment in travel and tourism to be 3.2 million within the next 10 years. To achieve the forecasted growth, we must put in place, as a matter of urgency, dedicated efforts and resources to guarantee a focused approach to establishing effective linkages between our industry and the rest of the economy.
The Caribbean offers unique opportunities for investment to establish and strengthen linkages such as manufacturing, agriculture, entertainment, arts and crafts, and a rich Caribbean heritage with our tourism industry.
Tourism enriches individual families and communities throughout our entire Caribbean region, i.e., farmers, fishermen, florists, firemen, police and security, to name a few. As our industry grows we are enriched both financially and socially, contributing to infra structural improvements, better airports, roads, sewerage and water treatment plants, new attractions within our several communities, safer drinking water, more reliable communications, all projects enjoyed by the local population as well as visitors who come to use them. It is also a stimulant for sustainable economic growth and revenue generation.
As tourism grows, we preserve and strengthen our heritage, we restore historical buildings, open museums, establish National Parks and Nature Heritage tours, provide community experiences like our fish fries and other special events – not just to cater to new niche markets and consumers, but to safe guard our history and our rich diverse Mosaic culture for generations to come.
We must, by working closely with our Agricultural industry, ensure our farmers and fishermen have the requisite training and skills to participate fully in the anticipated growth to supply all the indigenous ingredients that have elevated our Award Winning Caribbean cuisine and continue to influence international culinary trends.
I urge each and every one of you to be there as promoters and protectors of not just tourism, but for the millions in the region who depend on tourism to provide them with sustenance.
However, real progress requires the co-operation and involvement of all of us, governments, private sector, communities, every man, woman and child must work together to improve this important industry to further enhance our quality of life and to promote prosperity in all our Caribbean communities.
Let`s celebrate Tourism Day by embracing this industry that enriches each and every one of us.
I thank you.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
