Page 20 - Caribbean-Central America Profile 2018

REGIONAL

CARIBBEAN-CENTRAL AMERICA PROFILE 2018

TOURISM

In 2017, the travel & tourism industry continued The “Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report The sector is also making large strides toward a
to make a real difference to the lives of millions 2017” also highlighted that for every thirty new larger focus on environmental sustainability. Since
of people by driving growth, creating jobs, tourists to a destination one new job is created; the 1980s, air traffic has doubled every 15 years-a
reducing poverty and fostering development and already today, the travel and tourism industry trend that is expected to continue. In 2016, nearly
and tolerance. For the sixth consecutive year, has almost twice as many women employers 4 billion people travelled by plane, a number
industry growth outperforms that of the global as other sectors. Accounting for 30% of world expected to reach 7.2 billion by 2035. As such,
economy, showcasing the industry’s resilience services exports, and the largest export category resource efficiency, environmental protection
and climate change are central to the industry’s
in the face of global geopolitical uncertainty and in many developing countries, the industry is a agenda and part of its triple bottom line. Further,
economic volatility. The industry contributed tremendous employment generator. Yet research sustainability has accelerated as a policy issue in
US$7.6 trillion to the global economy (10.2% of suggests that the industry’s potential could be the past decade as the planet remains under threat
global GDP) and generated 292 million jobs (1 hindered-and 14 million jobs could be at risk- of existential climate change-and industry leaders
if governments and the private sector do not
in 10 jobs on the planet) in 2016. International address the talent shortage in the industry. If have followed suit to set ambitious targets. They
arrivals followed suit, reaching 1.2 billion in properly managed, the travel & tourism sector aim to move beyond carbon-neutral growth and,
2016, 46 million more than in 2015. These can continue to be a contributor to inclusive by 2050, halve net CO2 emissions compared to
promising figures are expected to continue growth, given the relatively low barriers the 2005 baseline. At the same time, revenue
increasing in the coming decade. This according required to provide services and start a business generated through tourism is both an important
to the “Travel & Tourism Competitiveness related to tourism. incentive and a source of funding to protect the
Report 2017". natural environment.
The majority of the countries in the region rely
An ever-increasing number of destinations on rich natural resources and good hospitality The Caribbean had been performing at a healthy
growth rate of 5.2 per cent between January and
worldwide have opened up to, and invested in to appeal to tourists, and they tend to be June 2017 when compared to the same period
tourism, turning it into a key driver of socio- internationally open. It is clear that most of last year. This reflected economic stability in
economic progress through the creation of the governments in the region understand the the market, expansion and inauguration of
jobs and enterprises, export revenues, and strategic role tourism plays for development and flights by major carriers, and new marketing and
infrastructure development. Over the past six job creation and consequently support the sector product development initiatives. During the first
decades, tourism has experienced continued proactively. six months, the region recorded 16.6 million
expansion and diversification to become one Yet some shared difficulties remain. The international tourist arrivals, some 800 thousand
of the largest and fastest-growing economic ground infrastructure is, with few exceptions, more than in the first six months of 2016.
sectors in the world. Many new destinations underdeveloped, and cultural resources In the hotel industry, the half-year outcomes
have emerged in addition to the traditional are not as valued as they could be. These reported by STR Global showed that average
favourites of Europe and North America. Tourism are differentiating factors between North occupancy increased marginally by 0.2
has boasted virtually uninterrupted growth over American nations and their Southern American percentage points to 70.8 per cent, while the
time, despite occasional shocks, demonstrating the counterparts. While ground infrastructure is average daily room rate rose slightly by 0.2
sector’s strength and resilience. relatively well developed in North and Central per cent, moving from US$ 220.84 in 2016 to
America, including the United States, Canada, US$ 221.38 in 2017.
According to UNWTO’s “Tourism Towards Panama, Barbados and Jamaica, ground
2030”, the number of international tourist transportation continues to lag across South Like tourist arrivals, growth in the cruise sector
arrivals worldwide is expected to increase by America. also remained positive and stronger than the
an average of 3.3% a year over the period 2010 expected performance in the first half of the
to 2030. It is expected that the rate of growth While North and Central American nations year. At the end of the first six months of 2017,
it is estimated that cruise passenger arrivals to
will gradually decrease over time, slowing from outperform South American ones on the Caribbean region had reached 15.3 million,
3.8% at the beginning of the period to 2.9% infrastructure, the opposite is true for cultural 4.0 per cent more than in the corresponding
towards 2030, but it should be noted that this resources. Numerous South American nations period of 2016. This performance represented
is on top of growing base numbers. In absolute are taking advantage of their rich heritage the largest number of cruise passengers in the
to create a strong tourism value proposition
numbers, international tourist arrivals will consisting of natural resorts, entertainment and region at this time of year.
increase by some 43 million a year, compared culture. On the other hand, Central American
with an average increase of 28 million a year and Caribbean countries continue to rely too However, with the passage of Hurricanes Irma
and Maria, the growth rate will slow down in
during the period 1995 to 2010. At the projected excessively on their natural resources and have the remaining quarters of the year. Hence, the
rate of growth, international tourist arrivals not made much progress in developing other expected growth rate of tourist arrivals will
worldwide are expected to reach 1.4 billion by tourism segments or complementing their beach range between 1.0 per cent and 2.0 per cent in
2020, and 1.8 billion by the year 2030. offer with other activities. 2017, with the 2018 performance expected to be
similar.

A-14 Caribbean-Central American Action