The Caribbean will benefit from a pioneering initiative aimed at expanding the tourism industry’s use of innovative resources to improve the health and safety of visitors, residents and all tourism stakeholders.
The Caribbean region has experienced the COVID-19 pandemic and natural disasters such as hurricanes, all of which have negatively impacted public health and safety in the tourism sector, threatening social and economic development and the ability to sustain tourism and business operations.
To help alleviate this reality, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) Collaborated on the “Improving Health Capacities and Digitization in Regional Tourism: Promoting Caribbean Travelers’ Health” project, with funding and technical assistance from the Inter-American Development Bank.
A key outcome of the project was the development of comprehensive communications and social media plans, along with a set of health and tourism crisis communications tools to support healthier and safer tourism in the Caribbean. The toolkit is designed for tourism partners in both the public and private sectors.
On June 11, project participants collaborated with experts from the Caribbean Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology during a webinar to share the latest knowledge on forecasting the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, ahead of Hurricane Beryl’s recent passage through the region.
Participants also received training and awareness information on CARPHA’s Crisis Communications Toolkit, along with CARPHA’s health safety tips and resources to protect employees and guests during severe weather conditions.
The Crisis Communication Toolkit consists of five components that provide access to information on preparedness and response to public health threats. The Tourism and Health Programme (THP) Regional Tools, which provides information on the nine regional Tourism and Health Programme tools developed by CARPHA.
The online toolkit components were developed based on feedback from public and private sector tourism authorities in the pilot countries, Barbados, Belize and The Bahamas, as well as input from stakeholders from CARPHA, CHTA and the CTO.
“The availability of these tools is timely during this year’s hurricane season,” said Donna Regis Prosper, Secretary General and Executive Director of the CTO. “Collaboration and communication with our guests and internally with our stakeholders is essential to mitigating the impacts of the global climate crisis.
“The tools will not only facilitate healthier and safer tourism, but also healthier and safer residents,” said Dr. Lisa Ender, CARPHA Acting Executive Director and THP Director. “After hurricanes, as some Member States are currently experiencing, cases of infectious diseases such as gastroenteritis, leptospirosis, and dengue are very likely to increase. These additional tools will bolster our efforts to mitigate these health threats and protect both residents and visitors.”
Additional components of the project include “Technological Improvement and Digitization of Regional Visitor Information Management Systems” and “Capacity Development, Training and Promotion”, which includes the development of 16 online courses to be implemented soon.
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