The Caribbean economies must take a sustainable development route if they are to make a comeback on the international tourism scene. This would be possible only through the active participation of the government and the industry.

1. Travel and Tourism stages a comeback in the Caribbean
People from the travel and tourism world back in the 1970’s would
remember the Caribbean for the paradise that it used to be. The conditions were
promising and the per capita contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). But
since then the things have been slightly different. Other destinations in places like the
South Americas and the Far East came in and took away the tourism dollar over the
past two decades.
Meanwhile the Caribbean economies themselves were going through a tectonic shift,
moving from an agrarian based model to other, capital intensive ones. As a result, the
market dynamics have shifted towards being more dynamic in nature. The global
economic slowdown hasn’t helped matters and the whole of the Caribbean has been
under its throes. They must adopt the sustainable development route if they are to
make a comeback on the international tourism scene.
Traditional support of certain sectors will have to be rerouted to other profitable
ventures. Growth shall have to be carefully crafted out of a mix of pre-existing
industries and newer, developmental activities. Among the many options available in
the Caribbean, tourism remains the one with the most potential.
Blessed with an abundance of islands, sand and sea, the Caribbean tourism industry
must be brought to its former glory. It still remains a significant player in the
employment and financial contributor to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the
Caribbean nations. Most of the fears about the viability of the tourism industry have
proved to be unfounded. Tourism has grown to be a major contributor to the economy
of every nation that has promoted and supported it. This statement is underlined by
the International Monetary Fund saying that increase in tourism traffic has a positive
and measurable effect on the economy.
Besides being a primary employer, the tourism industry is also an excellent secondary
and tertiary booster of jobs. This is due to the very nature of the industry that behaves
in a more inclusive manner, depending upon inter-linked synergies across the
manufacturing, processing and various other sectors of the economy. Even the ethnic
arts and crafts community stands to benefit from the growth of the tourism industry.
At the end of the day, such strong growth figures are going to be possible only
through the active participation and support across all the levels of the government
and the industry. For this to materialize, the Caribbean does have the basic goods in
hand. How the region reacts to the competition remains to be seen in the years to
come.