Leaders in improving Caribbean tourism's knowledge base along with bringing Caribbean nations closer together
Over the last few decades, as Caribbean tourism has developed, several dominant themes have run through many discussions: among them, the need for sustainability and environmental awareness as well as biosphere protection. Improved connectivity, education and training, fair taxation and the balance between cruise and stay-over tourism also play central roles. In tandem, the importance of bringing Caribbean nations together to co-promote is also emphasised. Some also advocate for reducing overall tourism arrivals while delivering better quality value-added services that visitors are willing to pay for.
The following serves as an overview of academics who have made, and are making, significant contributions to the discussions about Caribbean tourism. Hopefully, Caribbean political leaders will take heed and develop tourism, both within their economies but also in a regional context, to benefit their people more so than has been done in the past.
Ultimately the goal is to improve the quality of tourism delivery and to benefit all Caribbean peoples and nations, bringing sustainability and community values to 'top of mind' importance.
Eric Bailey: A New Economic Framework for Tourism Decision Making by Eric Bailey and Robert B. Richardson, 2010
Abstract: In this article it is argued that the conventional approach of conducting either a micro- or macro-economic analysis in tourism is incongruent with emerging concerns of the modern tourism system which require economic analysis that explicitly considers community as a unit of analysis. This article thus proposes an ecological economics framework for analyzing economic decision making in tourism. This approach assumes that tourism brings costs and benefits to a society with differential effects. Communities are proximate to the benefits or costs of tourism, including externalities or negative impacts which are often associated with tourism growth. Extensions of micro economic models are proposed as an alternative framework for addressing dynamic decision making and tradeoffs in resource use. This is consistent with evolving trends in tourism demand for sustainable products or destinations, and provides important insights into the inherent tradeoffs that tourism stakeholders may need to make in the post modern ‘triple bottom line accounting’ tourism industry.
Tenisha Brown-Williams
See: Caribbean Tourism Researchers Network (below)
Director and Senior Expert @ Green T&T: Tenisha has twenty years of experience in the hospitality & tourism sector on a Caribbean level.
She gained demonstrable experience at the national Tourism Development Company of Trinidad and Tobago where she co-supervised the Quality Control Unit and assisted small, medium and large tourism operators in using quality assurance initiatives for branding and marketing. Tenisha was a national representative to the International Organisation for the Standardisation Technical Tourism Committee in the areas of Environmentally Friendly Accommodation, Health Tourism, Naturally Protected Areas and Industrial Tourism. She contributed to the development of national tourism standards and coordinated the Trinidad and Tobago Tourism Industry Certification.
From 2015 to 2017 she was appointed as a committee member on the Regional CARICOM Technical Committee for Standards and Quality Tenisha represented Trinidad and Tobago on the Caribbean Public Health Agency and Inter-American Development Bank Regional Tourism Health Programme regarding regional tourist safety and Sustainable Tourism Since 2018, Tenisha is the Trinidad and Tobago National Coordinator for the Green Key international accommodation and attraction certification programme of the Foundation of Environmental Education.
Since 2013 she has lectured at the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus in an adjunct role in the B.Sc. International Tourism Management and the M.Sc. Tourism Development and Management programmes. She was also an adjunct lecturer at the Trinidad and Tobago Hospitality and Tourism Institute (TTHTI) for a decade and served as a governor on the Board of the TTHTI from 2019-2020.
On the private sector level, she is co-founder of ShareHome Caribbean Ltd. a hospitality and tourism consulting firm in Trinidad and Tobago focused on assisting homeowners and property managers in generating income through the use of residential spaces.
Abstract: The global tourism industry has shifted due to COVID-19, with tourism- dependent islands facing a dire need to realign and reconstruct their tourism offerings to remain competitive. The traditional mass tourism model that has dominated island development has to be re-examined in this new tourism environment with new mindsets regarding the current conditions for destination success. This paper aims to promote an understanding of destination success in an island context and to identify which determinants are critical during this period to achieve optimal destination success. The findings from this study suggest that island destinations are at a critical turning point, and key strategic shifts are necessary to enable future destination success as defined by the Destination Management Organisations.
There is a need to shift from management to stewardship, from product to experience, from quantity to quality, and from stakeholder presence to engagement. Core to these strategic shifts is an incorporation of locals as central to the quality of the overall experience, with less reliance on the natural resources (sun, sea, and sand) to which these island destinations have been beholden to for decades.
Johnny Coomansingh’s research focus is primarily concerned with tourism issues in the Caribbean region. His research surrounds topics such as the incidence of HIV/AIDS and its relationship to tourism in the Caribbean. He is also a keen observer of the budding tourism industry in Trinidad and Tobago. Among other things, he is certified in food safety (ServSafe), and has received training in public relations, restaurant and hospitality management. Some of his other research interests include cultural diffusion, and contested sacred space.
Selected articles
Myrna Ellis-Medina (Linkedin) | Her CV
Myrna Ellis is a Ph.D. Candidate at the University of the West Indies, Jamaica. Her research area is Sustainable Development with a tourism focus. She also holds Master’s degrees in Environmental Science & Management and Tourism Development & Management. Presently, employed as a Senior Lecturer at the Caribbean Maritime University in Jamaica, she coordinates the Bachelor’s degree in Cruise Shipping and Marine Tourism. Building on her natural science foundation, her research interests include: cruise tourism, marine protected areas, sustainable development, blue economy, carrying capacity, crisis management and mixed methods research. Ms. Ellis has also co-authored two publications. (Managing Crises in Tourism: Resilience Strategies from the Caribbean, below)
Carol Hay, CEO McKenzie Gayle Limited, formerly of CTO UK | twitter
Gail Henry, Deputy Director, Tourism Product Development at the Cayman Islands’ Department of Tourism, formerly CTO: EcoClub Interview
Dr. Jean Holder, former Secretary General of the CTO and CEO of LIAT | Obituary
Dr. Jean Holder was a pioneer and a giant in Caribbean tourism. Sadly, Dr. Holder died on February 18, 2022.
Selected Books/Articles by Jean Holder:
About Dr. Jean Holder
The vision for a Caribbean covering together all the countries and territories that are washed by the Caribbean Sea for the purpose of protecting, developing, and promoting the God-given resources of the region, of sea, sand, a unique people and culture, was one that Jean Holder saw and worked to develop and bring together as regional development, using this gift to make tourism of the Caribbean, the number one engine of revenue for this region.
Sir Royston Hopkin: In Memoriam, was owner of Spice Island Beach Resort, Grenada. His Legacy.
Sir Royston advocated for a strong service mentality and also to be environmentally pro-active.
The Importance of Green Tourism; Investing In Our Future by Sir Royston Hopkin Owner & Chairman, Spice Island Beach Resort | May 11, 2014 (requires subscription)
Eritha Huntley Lewis, UWI, Mona, Jamaica
Eritha Huntley Lewis has over eighteen years’ experience in adult education and training. Her areas of specialization are Tourism Policy and Planning, Events Management and Marketing. She has worked as Tourism Training Manager with the Tourism Product Development Company Ltd. (Jamaica) and has held several teaching positions at the University of the West Indies (Mona campus), University of Technology Jamaica, Northern Caribbean University and University College of the Caribbean in Jamaica. Mrs. Huntley Lewis has a M.Sc. in Tourism and Hospitality Management from the University of the West Indies Mona and a Bachelor of Law with the University of London. (Managing Crises in Tourism: Resilience Strategies from the Caribbean, below)
Environmental regulations and their effect on innovation and competitiveness in tourism in Barbados, Guyana and Jamaica by Eritha Huntley Lewis, 2019
This paper aims to explore the need for innovation in Caribbean tourism with stringent (mandatory) environmental regulations as the key driver of the process. It draws examples from three destinations, Barbados, Guyana and Jamaica. ... The main implication of this review is that it attempts to highlight the need for discourse on the effective use of environmental regulations to influence the behaviour of industry operatives towards achieving sustainable tourism. Within the context of climate change and the threat that this poses to Caribbean tourism, there is the critical need for this discourse. Consideration is also given to the value stringency of regulation since it is theorised that, if applied correctly, this may be the impetus to drive businesses to innovate to be competitive.
This is a novel approach to the management of the tourism industry which has shown a preference for self-regulation. Given the proposed outcome, the paper advocates mandatory, stringent regulations since self-regulation is a choice left solely to the industry operatives.
Chandana Jayarwardena, President, Chandi J. Associates Inc. Consulting, Canada, former Associate Dean - Centre for Hospitality & Culinary Arts, George Brown College, Canada (facebook) (twitter)
Chandana (Chandi) Jayawardena's research, Research Gate
This paper seeks to look at future challenges for tourism in the Caribbean. The community represents an essential component in the development of the tour ism industry and enhances visitor experience. Yet the traditional sun, sea and sand tourism, for which the Caribbean is famous, has never really sought nor incorporated the input of community members in its developmental plans. Given the indication of world trends towards a growing interest in alternative tour ism, the various stakeholders ought to take heed as there are increasing calls for greater levels of local inclusion and participation in tourism enterprises. This would require a new paradigm for tourism development in the Caribbean. One option which could be explored, is that of Community Tourism. The paper also explores the importance and impact of a community-based approach to tourism development, particularly because tourism is the lifeblood of the Caribbean region.
David Jessop: Consultant and Editor, The Caribbean Council. (Profile at Caribbean Council)
The Caribbean Council provides specialist trade advisory, public affairs and events services to a range of clients in the public and private sector. Caribbean Council consultants have provided expert commentary and analysis to leading regional and global news media outlets, covering a wide range of political, economic and developmental news stories affecting the Caribbean, Central America and the Guianas.
Highly respected, David Jessop, Consultant and Non-Executive Director of the Caribbean Council, writes from a European perspective on Caribbean tourism. Based in London, UK.
He generally portrays a positive message regarding the future for Caribbean tourism but is keenly aware of the high seas and storms that are presenting challenges. His knowledge and definitive analysis are to be ignored at the peril of compromising future progress.
If there are themes running through the body of his analysis, they can be summarised in this way:
Mr Jessop stresses:
He questions whether Caribbean countries are doing enough to insure the sustainability of their destinations and therefore tourism in general.
His writing shows the value of linkages between tourism sector and other economic sectors such as local agriculture and light industry.
He also sees intra-Caribbean tourism as an underutilized market.
In general, he advises against punitive taxes and duties.
Mr Jessop has also shown that there is value in expanding the offering of tourism products. One example might be 'Multi-destination travel', similar to what many travellers do in Europe, by short visits to several countries. He thinks that tourism related to local culture and heritage also provides opportunities to deliver more products and services to visitors, increasing local value-add and helping to reduce the problem of leakages.
Selected key quotes:
"This suggests there is now the need to consider strategically how in future a wider product offering might encourage not only linkages with multiple sectors, but also catalyze rural development, grow transferable skills, and support newer industries in ways that better balance national economies. ... Some nations like Jamaica and Barbados already understand this, but others that are also tourism dependent have not."
"To better understand the changing market, it suggests that sectoral analysis requires more than the use of traditional statistics, and should additionally consider real-time travel bookings, tourism expenditure data, and consumer sentiment surveys."
Quoting a recent report: ‘Imagining a Post-COVID Tourism Recovery: A Regional Overview’, Mr Jessop states that giving ...
"greater priority to meeting the changing preference of travellers for nature-based tourism and experience related travel. This, it observes, makes it more important that the region protects its natural assets, environmental sustainability, and adapts to climate change."
"As previously noted by this column, the pandemic offers a unique opportunity to assess how a region with billions of dollars invested in fixed tourism infrastructure might establish new linkages that go far beyond agriculture and fisheries, able to stimulate, for example, new services-based industries located away from urban centres."
source: https://www.caribbean-council.org/is-the-lure-of-the-beach-enough/
"The challenge that is now facing almost every Caribbean nation is how best to recover the tourism economy without which future economic growth and sustainable tax revenues will be all but impossible."
"While acknowledging their value, Frank Comito points out the cruise lines need to be better regional players. The Caribbean he says, “will have to explore whether it has the collective will to address from an equity perspective the role of the cruise sector vis-a-vis land-based tourism in its many forms”."
source: https://www.caribbean-council.org/balanced-tourism-recovery-a-key-to-future-caribbean-growth/
"It has indicated that when present difficulties have passed, long-term collaboration involving all stakeholders is needed to reimagine and deliver a better integrated industry, that comes to be seen by all as a sustainable, beneficial, ecologically sound, socio-economic development tool."
source: https://www.caribbean-council.org/the-way-ahead-for-caribbean-tourism/
"As presently configured the tourism sector imports almost everything from food to cutlery and linen. Not only will global food shortages and surging energy prices drive up all hotel operating costs, but they will also put pressure on wages, making the Caribbean, an already expensive US Dollar denominated destination, less able to compete with other warm water destinations that are hoping to replace lost Russian and Chinese clients with some of the region’s European and North American visitors."
source: https://trinidadexpress.com/opinion/columnists/is-tourism-s-recovery-sustainable/article_53e7123a-dfaa-11ec-ba41-1f3a04d8d75b.html
"There is also much to be considered in relation to the cruise lines, the need first to stimulate employment-generating long-stay land-based tourism, and the still missing regional response to the cruise company’s divisive approach to destinations."
https://www.caribbean-council.org/tourisms-recovery-holds-key-to-future-caribbean-growth/
"It has indicated that when present difficulties have passed, long-term collaboration involving all stakeholders is needed to reimagine and deliver a better integrated industry, that comes to be seen by all as a sustainable, beneficial, ecologically sound, socio-economic development tool."
source: https://www.caribbean-council.org/the-way-ahead-for-caribbean-tourism/
"For those willing to look over the horizon, the issue now is about reorienting and developing the Caribbean tourism offering to reflect changing international demand for the authentic, for quality service and cuisine and even when the price is high, value for money. It reflects too an understanding that a significant part of the higher spending end of the market is looking for much more than just a luxury hotel and a beach in the tropics."
source: https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/business/20150524/david-jessop-selling-authentic-caribbean
Leslie-Ann Jordan-MIller (Linkedin)
Leslie-Ann Jordan-Miller is a Senior Lecturer, Hospitality and Tourism Management at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Department of Management Studies, St. Augustine Campus, Trinidad. She holds a B.Sc. in Tourism Management (First Class Honours) from the University of the West Indies and a Post-Graduate Diploma (with Distinc- tion) and Ph.D. in Tourism Policy and Planning from the University of Otago, New Zealand. Leslie-Ann is also a Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence (CMQ/OE) from the American Society for Quality (ASQ) and holds a Professional Certificate in Event Management, George Washington University and Institute of Business (IOB). She is the lead editor of the text, ‘Sports Event Management: The Caribbean Experience’ which was published by Ashgate, London. Her research interests include tourism development in small island developing states (SIDS) with special reference to the Anglophone Caribbean, institutional arrangements for tourism, tourism planning and development and tourism policy and decision-making. More recent research focuses on heritage tourism and customer experience management. (Managing Crises in Tourism: Resilience Strategies from the Caribbean, below)
Johnson Johnrose (Linkedin), former Communications Specialist at Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO); After 20 years with the CTO, Mr. Johnrose has moved on to the Government of Sint Eustatius and has been replaced by Kevin Pile (May, 2022) Mr. Johnrose possesses an understanding of Caribbean tourism that would be difficult to match. One of his primary themes is improving crisis preparedness.
"As we look towards the next 50 years, CTO continues to provide to, and through its members, the services and information needed for the development of sustainable tourism for the economic and social benefit of the Caribbean people. It maintains a special place in world tourism and speaks for regional tourism. No other tourism organisation can boast of such a diverse membership - 32 countries and four languages, yet one destination. CTO stands proud of its history".
Dr. Accolla Lewis-Cameron, co-ordinator of Tourism programme and Dean of Social Sciences at UWI, Mona, Jamaica
This article focuses on the most appropriate approach to marketing twin-island states. Tourism marketing experts were interviewed in six states to elicit their views on whether or not twin-island states should be marketed separately or collaboratively. While there was no agreement on the best way forward, there seems to be greater movement towards collaboration versus separate marketing agendas. (Abstract)
See also: Marketing Island Destinations: Concepts and Cases 1st Edition; Acolla Lewis-Cameron and Sherma Roberts (Editor) (Amazon, no affiliation)
Robert MacLellan (Linkedin), MacLellan & Associates Hospitality Consultants
"The cruise ship’s highly competitive business model and the further recent growth of cruise tourism in the region might be viewed as a direct disincentive for resort investment and re-investment in the Caribbean. ... The hugely profitable cruise industry can afford to absorb higher port taxes in the Caribbean and will do so, once faced with a stronger negotiating entity".
"Arguably, to effectively represent the hotel and resort sector under today’s Caribbean market conditions, when 63% of the world’s cruise fleet is in the region between December and March, the most important criterion to recognize is the differentiation between the “stay- over visitor” and the cruise ship passenger. The former makes the greatest contribution to the Caribbean’s tourism economy, as the stay-over visitor requires accommodation in a hotel, resort, villa, condo, vacation club, timeshare property or – in the case of marinas – a berth for the yacht. The stay-over visitor supports those businesses and investors which have made a significant long term financial commitment in a fixed asset in the Caribbean. In contrast, the cruise ship passenger travels on a ship which is generally only here for the high season, when the local hotels - hopefully - have their profitable months, and nowadays 82% of the average cruise ship passenger’s DISCRETIONARY spend is on board".
The managing director of a Caribbean-based hospitality consultancy is urging regional countries including Central America to come together and form the Organisation of Tourism Economy Countries (OTEC) as a means of negotiating as a cartel from a position of greater strength with the cruise lines.
Today, around 60% of the world’s cruise ships spend the winter in the Caribbean. In spite of the cruise lines’ bluster, currently there is no alternative to the Caribbean for them – a winter cruising area with a high level of differentiated tourism infrastructure and port facilities, located close to North America and Western Europe, which are the major outbound cruise markets.
No sane person wants to see cruise ships leave the Caribbean but the cruise lines could, and should, make a greater contribution to Caribbean government tax revenues. A rebalancing of the tax burden would assist the Caribbean’s own airlines and hotels to improve, expand and achieve a greater level of economic sustainability.
Earlston McPhee - Director - Sustainable Tourism Planning at Bahamas Ministry of Tourism (Linkedin)
Regional tourism planners and policymakers have been advised to stop catering to the visitor of yesterday and focus on the needs of the modern traveller in order to survive growing competition from both emerging and traditional Caribbean markets.
Bahamian sustainable tourism development expert, Earlston McPhee, said the traditional sun, sea and sand product is no longer adequate and tourism developers must incorporate the Caribbean’s culture and history in their offerings.
Led by the Sustainable Tourism Unit and with the support of Small Planet Consulting, The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism (Web: www.bahamas.com) recently launched their first-ever birding tourism development plan. The preparation of the plan was championed by Earlston McPhee, head of the Sustainable Tourism Unit. McPhee is well known for his work for over 25 years in promoting sustainable tourism development in the Caribbean and around the world.
Joanna Moses-Wothke (Linkedin)
A tourism professional with 15 years of tourism consultancy and academia experience in the Caribbean working on projects funded by major intergovernmental and governmental entities. She is currently the Dean of Academic Services at the TobagoHospitality and Tourism Institute, advocating for sound research writing, sustain- able tourismplanning and policy development within the Caribbean. She volunteers as the CEO at an NGO responsible for the local coordina- tion of the globally recognized Blue Flag and Green Key Programmes of the Foundation for Environmental Education. She served on the Board of Directors for governmental and civil society entities charged with the development and marketing of tourism in Tobago and provided exper- tise on human resource, research, product development and marketing matters. (Managing Crises in Tourism: Resilience Strategies from the Caribbean, above)
Abstract: North-East Tobago is a rural, underdeveloped and marginalized section on the island of Tobago. The area is socially and economically vulnerable to external shocks that can impede on the development of the community-based tourism sector. The small communities are strongly dependent on unemployment relief programmes, governmental employment, and unsustainably managed tourism and fisheries. At the same time, its cultural heritage and natural resources are regionally outstanding which is substantiated by the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Reserve designation for the entire area in October 2020. This designation was attributed to regionally outstanding and representative natural and cultural heritage. Stakeholders now agree that a participatory management approach and facilitating the development of sustainable blue and green economies are the most appropriate answers to NE Tobago’s challenges. This approach will further result in positive, island wide spill-over effects, providing the necessary safety nets bridging tourism fluctuations. This chapter summarizes the path taken by North-East Tobago between 2015 and 2020 towards the sustainable management of its natural and cultural resources aimed at supporting cross-sectoral resilience to external shocks, while focussing on a responsible tourism approach with well-planned strategies to improve branding, marketing, competitiveness and diversification. More specifically, the Chapter will provide a reflection on the action-based research approach utilized while discussing the role of key stakeholders and their level of participation, the level of institutional hindrances, the legal framework, and the lessons learnt. Strategic recommendations are put forward for the sustainable management of this nationally unprecedented transition from post-colonial natural resource management and economic development approach to a participatory, transparent, accountable co-management model.
Polly Pattullo, writer and activist, author of Last Resorts: The Cost of Tourism in the Caribbean, 1996
The Caribbean has the fortune —and misfortune —to be everyone's idea of a tropical paradise. Its sun, sand, and scenery attract millions of visitors each year and make it a profitable destination for the world's fastest growing industry. Tourism is increasingly touted as its only hope of creating jobs and wealth—literally, the islands' last resort.
Last Resorts examines the real impact of tourism on the people and landscape of the Caribbean. It explores the structure of ownership of the industry and shows that the benefits it brings to the region do not live up to its claims. New developments in ecotourism, sex tourism, and the burgeoning cruise industry are not changing this pattern of short-term exploitation of the region's resources. The book shows how Caribbean societies are corrupted by tourism and its culture turned into floorshow parody.
This new edition has been extensively revised and updated. It gives voice to people inside the tourism industry, its critics, and tourists themselves, and offers vital insights into a phenomenon that is central to the globalized world of today.
Polly Pattullo, a London-based journalist, skillfully weaves together the book from travelogues, official and business surveys, academic journals, local newspapers, interviews, poetry, and song. The tourism industry in the Caribbean has undergone significant transformations in the past decade, and Last Resorts seeks to update older literature on tourism and to synthesize some of the more recent specialized studies on the tourist industry. The book's nine chapters give a detailed picture of the central issues and problems in the contemporary tourism industry: planning, employment, social impact, the environment and ecotourism, the tourists, the cruise-ship industry, and culture and identity. (H-Net Reviews)
Polly Pattullo has written widely about the Caribbean region. She works for The Guardian and Caribbean Insight in London and co-founded a tour operating company in the Eastern Caribbean. (source: http://monthlyreview.org/press/books/pb117x/)
Polly Pattullo Hon. FRSL is a British author, journalist, editor and publisher, who co-founded in 1998 the independent publishing company Papillote Press, based in Dominica and London, England (Wikipedia)
Walking Dominica: The following is a description of a 1998 round-island walk by Polly Pattullo.
Also by Polly Pattullo:
The ethical travel guide: your passport to exciting alternative holidays By Polly Pattullo, Orely Minelli
Your Time is Done Now: Slavery, Resistance, and Defeat: The Maroon Trials of Dominica (1813–1814)
Dr. Auliana Poon (Linkedin), owner of Villa Being, Tobago, founder of Leve Global, Exceptional Caribbean and Tourism Intelligence International
Dr. Poon heads the Leve-Global Group of Companies (including Tourism Intelligence International, Villa Being, Being Sustainable and the Tourism Intelligence Academy).
An experienced researcher and analyst with fiercely independent thought, Auliana believes that developing countries cannot continue to compete with Sun, Sand, Sea, Oil and Natural Gas alone. For success and sustainability, a more people-centred, culture-oriented, innovation-based, sustainability-directed, technology-focused and talent-driven approach is needed.
Auliana Poon loves the Caribbean and believes in its people. Her personal mission is to change the world; to transform our societies. And this is precisely why she has spearheaded Exceptional Caribbean – a continuing mission to elevate tourism, trade and lives.
"It cannot be fair for mega cruise lines to bully small island states into accepting their terms and their conditions; with their mega guests trampling upon the islands’ fragile and sensitive environment, natural, religious, historic, cultural and man-made attractions. This cannot be sustainable for the environment or people or cultures of these small island states. Governments need to wake up and stop feeling helpless in the face of these mega ships".
Carmen Portela (Linkedin), co-founder of Local Guest and Bana (facebook)
Carmen is considered a thought leader in the areas of community based tourism development and sustainable tourism. She also serves as an advocate and consultant for the Cannatourism space in the Caribbean with projects in Puerto Rico & Jamaica. (Caribbean Wellness & Education)
Local Guest is a women-powered social enterprise dedicated to co-creating and promoting authentic tourism experiences by working hand-in-hand with local communities and entrepreneurs in order to build a new tourism ecosystem based on sustainable development practices. (Centre for Responsible Tourism)
Living Bana: Ocean, Sun and Collaboration by Carmen Portela
Carmen is one of the co-founders of Local Guest, a tour company that develops and curates authentic tourism experiences by working hand in hand with local communities and entrepreneurs to build a new tourism ecosystem based on sustainable development practices.
A team of young professionals bets on a platform for experiential tourism as an economic development engine
An amazing first-hand story about how communities can rally together to recover from a disaster and how volunteers can make a difference.
Hugh Riley (Linkedin), former Secretary General of the CTO, now retired
"The challenge for the region, then and now, is the growing competition we face," he said. "We are rubbing shoulders with every major destination. We are competing for business against competitors that have more resources than we do. We have had to do more with less, but we need to stop thinking that way and we have to find resources and treat this seriously."
I’m excited at the prospects for the Caribbean Tourism Organization and the critical role it can play in unifying the Caribbean, not simply as a tourism destination, but as a people destined for greatness.
I’m convinced that a well-supported, well-funded CTO can take its place alongside other venerable institutions to lift the people of the Caribbean to incredible heights that are attainable but not yet achieved.
Dr. Sherma Roberts, Senior Lecturer in Tourism at University of the West Indies (Linkedin)
Sherma Roberts is a Senior Lecturer in Tourism at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus. Having taught in the UK, she joined the Department of Management Studies in 2005, where she has worked hard to raise the profile of tourism education. Some of her accomplishments include hosting the first UWI wide international tourism confer- ence, creating the opportunity for students in the OECS to pursue undergraduate tourism programmes at Cave Hill, developing a suite of post- graduate tourism programmes that are relevant to the region and collaborating closely with the local and regional industry for internships and guest lectures. In addition to teaching, she serves as Chair of the Tobago Tourism Agency and previously held positions as Chair of the Tourism Advisory Council in Barbados and Deputy Chair of the Barbados Tourism Product Authority. She has been instrumental in developing the participatory framework for the Tourism White Paper (2012–2021) in Barbados. Recently, she served as a panelist for the Caribbean Examinations Council developing the recently launched CAPE tourism syllabus and was Chief Examiner for the subject from 2014 to 2016. She has three co-edited books and recently published Contemporary Caribbean Tourism: Concept and Cases —which will be used by tourism students throughout the Caribbean archipelago and beyond. Sherma has written and presented papers in areas pertaining to community participation, corporate social responsibility, sustainable tourism, diaspora tourism, e-marketing and tourism entrepreneurship. (Managing Crises in Tourism: Resilience Strategies from the Caribbean, above)
Shinelle Smith (Linkedin)
Shinelle Smith is a Tourism Lecturer at Tobago Hospitality and Tourism Institute. She is passionate about inspiring critical thinking in the field of education and challenges her students to use their knowledge to address real-life issues and to create viable solutions affecting tourism-oriented communities. Shinelle is also the founder of The Travel Taxi Ltd., a regional, tourism-based consultancy which promotes sustainable, eco-friendly travel and affords hospitality training to small and medium-sized businesses within the industry. Her company has consulted for properties in St. Kitts, Grenada, Dominica and Tobago. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality and Tourism, a Master of Science in Tourism Development and Management, a Master of Science in Innovation, Management and Entrepreneurship, a CELTA certificate from Cambridge and is currently pursuing qualifications in Education Technology and Education Administration. In her free time, her hobbies include travel, cooking and reading West Indian fiction. (Managing Crises in Tourism: Resilience Strategies from the Caribbean, above)
Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace (CHTA Profile) (facebook)
Mr. Vanderpool-Wallace states his concerns over the predominance of arrival data as the only measure of economic activity as well as worries over intra-regional transport.
Tourism-dependent destinations in the Caribbean are being advised to look more to regional travel to boost their tourism product post COVID-19. Mr. Vanderpool-Wallace suggests taxes on intra-regional travel are too high and also that countries need to look at improving ferry services. He also advises destinations to collect more visitor data.
Mr Vanderpool-Wallace argues that higher occupancies are attainable and that governments, by imposing too high taxation on visitors, are making tourism less competitive. "Only someone who does not understand the primary industry would consciously make it less and less competitive". He further argues that by stressing competitiveness, destinations will benefit by higher employment and this, ultimately has a much higher long-term value.
"Now I am able to ask visitors for their interests and preferences, then tailor an itinerary – and I have just opened up destinations to more visitor participation than ever".
Mr. Vanderpool-Wallace states "The Tourism Ministry must share plans with everyone, so that the mission is clear about ensuring visitor satisfaction" and that "all tourism is community".
In May of [2021], the Caribbean region of International Tourism Studies Association (ITSA) launched the Caribbean Tourism Researchers Network. The group’s mission will be to improve the tourism sector in the Caribbean through research. Three goals of the initiative, over the next two years, will be: one, to strengthen ties among researchers with an interest in Caribbean tourism issues; two, to connect the group with other leading tourism researchers in ITSA and globally; and three, to facilitate the dissemination of cutting edge tourism research on the Region. While ITSA membership is encouraged for participation in this network, it is not required.
For more details on this important network, contact ITSA’s Regional Vice President for the Caribbean, Dr. Annmarie Nicely, at email address ajnicely@purdue.edu.
See: facebook
source: https://intltourismstudies.com/networks/
The network lists the following as members (2022):
ITSA Newsletter, Mar 2022 Vol. 12 No. 1; https://intltourismstudies.com/newsletters/
Not directly tourism but are connected: