The Future of Caribbean Tourism- Redefining the 3S's
As the Caribbean continues to wrestle with the global pandemic and its unprecedented impacts on Caribbean tourism, it is critical that regional tourism stakeholders, related businesses, academia and development partners directly and indirectly attached to the Caribbean tourism value chain work together to further deliberate on current and pressing issues facing the growth of Caribbean tourism. Moreover, it is crucial that these deliberations result in innovative and creative solutions, committed actions and results that would aid in the robust recovery of the sector and tourism resilience building efforts. This virtual one-day conference will commemorate World Tourism Day 2021 through an unprecedented collaborative approach among agencies that play in role in contributing to the social and economic development of the region, thus demonstrating a major commitment to the sustainability and inclusive growth of the Caribbean tourism sector in this period and beyond.
Objectives
I. Social Inclusion
- To commemorate World Tourism Day 2021 through a collaborative initiative among key development agencies that support tourism in the Caribbean
- thereby demonstrating the 2021 theme of “Tourism for Inclusive Growth”;
- To provide an opportunity for meaningful discussions among tourism businesses, policy makers, , destinations planners and marketers, regional and international tourism partners, academia and civil society on the rebuilding and futuristic outlook for Caribbean tourism;
- To promote a shift in perspective as it relates to the current and future development of Caribbean tourism through information sharing and the exchange of knowledge and experiences;
- To foster an action-oriented mindset among regional tourism stakeholders regarding the inclusive development and growth of Caribbean tourism;
- To execute a Caribbean Inclusive Tourism Development Partnership Declaration among all collaborating agencies to signal a new dawn of partnerships and advocacy for the successful rebuilding of Caribbean tourism.
- This session discusses the needs, strategies and new opportunities to engage local communities, marginalised and vulnerable groups (women, youth, differently abled) in the tourism economy and increase their participation and benefits from tourism. Focus on MSME’s, Rural and Indigenous Communities and the Tourism work force.
- The Future of Tourism Education & Training
- Future of Work in the new normal: Outlook for the Caribbean Hospitality and Tourism Sector
- Increasing opportunities for marginalized groups in Caribbean Tourism (MSMEs, CBT and to enhance inter-sectoral linkages)
- The Youth Perspective and the future of Caribbean Tourism
II. Sustainability: The Future Colour of Money This session explores the concepts of the Blue, Green, and Orange Economies and discusses opportunities for the future of Caribbean Tourism, how they impact profitability and what regional best practices exist.
- Greening and the Bottom Line: Sustainable Certifications and Greening the Caribbean Tourism Sector
- Tourism and Orange Economy Opportunities
- Tourism and the Blue Economy
- Public-Private Partnerships to drive Sustainable Tourism Development and Traveller’s Philanthropy
III. Smart Destinations and Businesses
This session focuses on digitalisation and technology adoption in tourism systems and service delivery. Discussions will provide insight into destination resilience and the role of technology in building and assisting in the safe re-opening of the Caribbean tourism sector. Key discussion points are the promotion of contact-less tourism experiences, leveraging technology for seamless visitor engagement, information flows, risk management, business continuity planning and effective health and safety management.
- Tourism Resilience in the New Normal
- The Destination Experience in the Digital Era
- Revitalising the Sharing Economy
- Innovations in Tourism and Health - New Technologies in Visitor Engagement and Information Management
