Dear Future Tourism Discussion Participants, We would like to thank you for your valuable contributions to the FutureTourism (FUT-Tourism): Rethinking Tourism in times of COVID-19 in the Eastern Caribbean e- discussion. I am pleased to share that many of the suggestions and insights you have contributed have been included in the final report on the regional dialogues, including direct quotes from the e-discussion participants. Thank you for your willingness to get involved and for sharing your views. Your input will contribute to the recommendation and formulation of policies which will have a wide-reaching impact on the future of tourism in the Eastern Caribbean. More than 50 people joined the discussion, from a variety of backgrounds: Barbados Welcome Stamp/remote workers, start-ups, small businesses, civil society, technology companies and representatives from UNDP and other UN agencies across the world. The discussion board is now closed but it will remain accessible for future reference and can be viewed at the links below:
The final Future Tourism Summary Report will be presented to the governments of the Eastern Caribbean in the coming days. Thereafter it will be made available for public review and we will share it with you at this time. We would like to thank you once again for your support, and we look forward to working with you again in the future. Regards, The UNDP Barbados and Eastern Caribbean Future Tourism and UNDP SIDS Teams |
The tourism sector and cruise ships are often criticized for high levels of waste, carbon emissions and unsustainable practices. In the Caribbean this is coupled with a model of tourism that has been primarily focused on sand and sun, without highlighting the rich and distinctive culture, music, cuisine and biodiversity of each of the islands. Yet consumer research is showing important trends to indicate this might be changing, particularly in the post-covid era:
- Visitors are interested in authentic and personalized experiences. They are willing to pay more for traditional cuisine , locally sourced food and businesses that embrace environmental sustainability to maximize the positive impact of their stay.
- The vast majority are interested to try community-based tourism and most are willing to pay more if they know the proceeds go back to the community.
Help shape the future of tourism in the region as part of this United Nations consultation. Sharing your insights and recommendations will support governments and small businesses to assess and adapt to this transition. Here are a few questions you can consider to get started. The conversation is open to everyone. We look forward to hearing from you.
Discussion Questions:
- What are the implications of these trends for the Eastern Caribbean islands?
- How can MSMEs better take advantage of these trends and collaborate more to generate more revenues?
- What innovations are you seeing in sustainable practices or community-based tourism that can be replicated to more operators in the Eastern Caribbean?
*Diversification of Caribbean Tourism Experiences: Consumer research on the willingness-to-pay of American visitors (Euromonitor, 2019)
Community tourism is one way to drive sustainable tourism, as it is not one of volume, but rather of value. It is a means of increasing value to visitors who are willing to spend more, rather than open up to volume where there is excess foot traffic damaging infrastructure and exploiting landscapes, but very little spend (cruise tourism and one-day visits regarded as major culprits). With community tourism, community residence are the custodians of the tourism product, and have an incentive to protect these from exploitation and over-use. Some popular tourist destinations in Italy, Greece, and Japan have seen residents grown accustomed to the calm and serenity, as well as the return of natural life, unexpected benefits of the pandemic. Despite economic hardships caused by the pandemic on tourism enterprises dependent on the sector, conversations now centre on what type of tourism do destinations want in the post-pandemic world. Governments are faced with how to return to tourism in a balanced way that preserves nature, and local ways of life, all while catering to livelihoods, simultaneously. Importantly, it is not only their constituents who are requiring this, but travelers as well. A new generation of travelers are emerging and will lead the new tourism forward, and they are demanding the greening of the tourism industry.
This is something policy makers will have to grapple with, but for some destinations, quality over quantity has always been their modus operandi. I speak specifically of such destinations as Guyana, a country which has won numerous awards for its growing eco-tourism product. Destinations in Guyana, such as the Communities of Rewa and Surama offer such packages as birding and fly fishing. However, they seek to limit visitors to no more than 1000-1500 per year. This is not only to protect wildlife habitats, but also to preserve the way of life of it’s indigenous population, all while providing economic opportunities. For some destinations, however, especially those for whom tourism has been a large percentage of their GDP, quantity will still matter for the short term. However, sustainable measures will have to be implemented, energy efficiency, waste management and sustainable water management. Studies show that consumers are demanding such measures that are aligned with their values. Additionally, they are seeking to purchase foods and other items that are locally and sustainably produced, as a way of reducing their environmental impact on destinations they visit.
We must however not just think of sustainability as solely about the environment. Consumers are also conscious of economic and social sustainability. Visitors increasingly are looking to give back to the communities they visit. In a recent Compete Caribbean/Euromonitor International study, visitors say they are willing to pay more for food and products if a large percentage of their spending goes back to the community. In one survey conducted by Magna Global, how resorts treated their staff during the shutdown would be a major influence on their choice (Magma-Global-post-COVID-19-travel.pdf (ilovebonaire.com). Visitors now more than ever care about the environment they visit, as well as the economic and social wellbeing of locals. Rebuilding the tourism sector, sustainability will be critical for policy-makers to consider. It’s no longer a demand of just local environmentalists and communities, but also of potential visitors.
Welcome to the discussion. I invite you to please share examples and insights from your experience and research related to how we can support a future of tourism that is more sustainable and community-driven.