Caricom Secretary-General Edwin Carrington says it is vital to develop a Regional Tourism Brand to lessen the impacts of the global economic downturn as tourism is a critical driver of the Region’s economy.
Carrington made these statements in his annual end-of-year briefing last week via video conference from the Caricom Secretariat Headquarters, a press release said. In this regard, Heads of Government have agreed to establish a Task Force on Tourism Linkages at the 29th Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government.
“It is important that we understand that tourism and agriculture have to be closely linked,” the Secretary-General noted. He also said that the Heads have agreed to a Regional Marketing Plan which was expected to promote the Caribbean Tourism Brand internationally. “We need all the more urgently to prepare a brand that will offset the diminution of the tourism sector,” he added.
Meanwhile, Assistant Secretary-General, Trade and Economic Integration, Ambassador Irwin Larocque cautioned member states about cutting back on which would otherwise promote tourism at regional and national levels. “We should not cut back and compromise the Region’s tourism product,” he said. Illustrating the importance of the Plan he said, “when persons consider a holiday in the Region, they think first of the Caribbean and then within the Caribbean context, to a particular destination and to a particular experience.”
Allaying fears that the promotion of a Brand would stifle national brands, Larocque said member states would derive greater benefits from the Regional promotion since the Caribbean Brand would reach markets some were not able to enter individually. “The Caribbean Brand will enhance and augment the promotion that will be taking place for national tourism…It will redound to more tourists coming to the Region,” he said.
Outlining the initiatives which the Community had agreed to promote Regional Tourism, Larocque said the Caricom Heads had proposed to establish more pre-clearance facilities in the Caribbean for North American tourists. At the Heads of Government meeting in Antigua and Barbuda in July it was also proposed that efforts be made to approach the US government to increase duty-free allowances for persons travelling from the Caribbean to destinations in the US. The Heads had also supported a proposal to waive departure taxes for US citizens travelling to the Caribbean.
As regard efficiency in transportation which was critical to the sector Larocque called for greater urgency in the development of airline hubs. “A lot of the airlines are facilitated by external air carriers.
We need to look at developing a Hubs Transportation system so that there can be an increased flow of cargo and passengers, and greater cooperation among regional airlines,” he said.
Larocque also alluded to collaboration that had begun between LIAT and Caribbean Airlines.
