If the recent survey done by the United States magazine, Travel and Leisure is anything to go by, the Caribbean’s hugely economically significant tourist season is not in danger of imminent ruin on account of the Zika virus.
Stabroek Business has seen an article in last weekend’s Trinidad Guardian alluding to a survey by the publication’s Specialist Projects Editor Jacqueline Gifford in which she asserts that would-be vacationers’ travel plans remain mostly unchanged and that their holiday spots include parts of the region that have been tagged with advisories against visiting. The findings, the Guardian article says, were made public at the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s (CTO) 43rd Caribbean Week New York at the Marriott Marquis Hotel, Manhattan.
The news will be welcomed by Caricom countries with largely tourism-dependent economies, though Gifford reportedly said in her survey that the situation remained fluid insofar as potential visitors are continually monitoring the situation.
The Guardian article alludes to “another survey” cited by Gifford, which “revealed that group travel and weddings planned for the region were cancelled and rebooked in territories believed to be Zika-free,” whilst “a subsequent survey by Travel and Leisure’s advisory board, which constituted 18 of the world’s top travel agents, showed clients are keeping their travel plans to Zika-affected regions.”
The Guardian says the statistics provided by Travel and Leisure suggest that “seventy-six per cent were keeping their plans, 13 per cent were cancelling their plans, six per cent were travelling the same day to non-Zika regions and five per cent were postponing their plans.”
Setting aside the high level of traveller awareness about the Zika virus the study, the Guardian says, provides assurances that the Caribbean retains its popularity as a visitor destination “despite the efforts of other markets to woo travellers and there are opportunities for growth in this market.” The region ranks second behind Europe in terms of visitor appeal.
Another aspect of the survey that would be of interest to the Caribbean is its reference to the growing importance of culinary travel.
Against the backdrop of growing regional worry over its food bill, much of which is spent on imports to cater to visitor tastes, Gifford is quoted as saying that increasingly, American travellers are expecting to consume locally grown foods whilst on holiday.
