Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, September 27, 2024.The tourism and travel industry has been the dominant sector of the Caribbean economy for decades, and a driver of economic growth and development.1Notwithstanding, the Caribbean Region has witnessed first-hand the detrimental and far-reaching consequences of infectious disease outbreaks, as demonstrated by COVID-19 with its stringent ‘lock-down’ measures that severely impacted the livelihoods of our Caribbean people. Other challenges faced by the Region include interconnected and porous borders, small, under- resourced populations, varying surveillance, laboratory and human resource capacities, as well as susceptibility to climatic change and disasters leading to increased transmission of food, water and vector-borne diseases.
The aforementioned reiterate the critical need for mechanisms that allow for resilient and sustainable Caribbean tourism, leading to a more stable economic environment in the Region.
Under the theme of “Tourism and Peace” for World Tourism Day 2024, celebrated on September 27 annually, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has illustrated that tourism can transform communities – creating jobs, fostering inclusion and strengthening local economies, whilst promoting economic interdependence between neighbours, encouraging cooperation and peaceful development.2 The UNWTO, on World Tourism Day 2024, calls for travelling responsibly, building bridges, and promoting mutual respect among cultures and nations, harnessing the power of tourism to advance peace and prosperity for all.2
The Caribbean continues to be a premier tourist destination, recording approximately 32.2 million visitors in 2023, about four million more than in 2022.3 The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and its Regional Tourism and Health Programme (THP) stands in solidarity with the UNWTO and other international and regional tourism stakeholders, including the Caribbean Tourism Organization, and the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association, in commemoration of World Tourism Day 2024.
Dr. Lisa Indar, Ad Interim Executive Director, CARPHA and Head of the THP, states, “With the Caribbean’s heavy reliance on the travel and tourism industry, we must be mindful of the Region's exposure and vulnerability to infectious disease and pandemic risks and the necessity for health to be intertwined into Caribbean tourism to promote sustainable tourism, sustainable economies, social and economic well-being.”
CARPHA’s THP is a multifaceted program, the first of its kind, which continues to pioneer work for improving sustainable Caribbean tourism and health security, whilst engaging and collaborating with CARPHA Member States. The THP adopts a multisectoral approach for improving the resilience of the tourism industry and by extension, the health sector of each participating country through surveillance, response, guidelines, capacity building, standards, policy, advocacy and partnerships, and a travellers’ health award and app. The THP strengthens regional and national health systems and enhances the health of visitor and resident populations by seeking to address the health, safety, and environmental sanitation threats to tourism.
CARPHA urges its Member States to advocate for the continued implementation of the THP for healthier, safer tourism and to further support the sustainability and resiliency of Caribbean economies.
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