Towards Long Term Sustainability for Caribbean Tourism

Challenges and Opportunities
By
Willard Phillips
UN-ECLAC
The Caribbean is the most tourism dependent
region in the world!
Share of Tourism in GDP and Employment:
Caribbean Countries - 2012
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Share of tourism in GDP (%)
Share of tourism in total employment (%)
Source: UNECLAC
Has been globally competitive for more than 40
Years…
Percent
Market Share of International Arrivals By Region: 2005 - 2011
55
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
2005
Europe
Caribbean
2006
2007
2008
2009
Asia and the Pacific
Africa
2010
2011
Americas
Middle East
Source: UNWTO
…But its competitiveness is beginning to wane
Average Annual Growth Rate in International Arrivals: 2005 2011
8.0
7.0
6.0
5.0
4.0
3.0
2.0
1.0
0.0
Source: UNWTO
The Caribbean tourism product based
mainly on “gifts of nature”
The Caribbean: Now Mostly Mature
Destinations
Butler’s Tourism Life Cycle Model
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
…But sustainability should be based on
three elements…
Economic
Social
Environmental
Challenges to Caribbean Tourism Sustainability
•
•
•
•
•
•
Increasing Competition
Limited source markets
Limited product specialization
Evolving travel markets
Lack of market integration
Limited partnerships
Increasing Competition
Percentage Growth in International Arrivals - Selected Countries:
2012
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
-10
-20
-30
-40
-50
Source: UNWTO
Limited Source Markets
Percentage Arrivals by Source Markets - Selected Countries:
2008 - 2012
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Antigua & Barbuda
Bahamas
US
Barbados
Canada
Cuba
Europe
Dominican Republic
Jamaica
Other
Source: CTO
Limited Product Specialization
• Product remains largely nature based; limited
connection of the tourism product with the
Caribbean society;
• Mainly enclaves;
• Caribbean lifestyles, culture, not fully
integrated;
• Narrow and stylized conception of the
Caribbean visitor experience
Limited Product Specialization
Total Tourism Expenditure - Selected Countries: 2007 - 2010
2,750
2,500
2,250
2,000
US$ Million
1,750
1,500
1,250
1,000
750
500
250
0
Aruba
2007
Bahamas
2008
Barbados
2009
Cayman Islands
2010
Cuba
Curaçao
Guadeloupe
Jamaica
Sint Maarten
Trinidad and Tobago
Source: UNWTO
Evolving Travel Markets
• A result (or consequence?) of the information
age.
• Travellers are now more informed, and have
more varied expectations of destination
• Travellers exposed to more diverse travel options
• Travellers now coming from more diverse source
markets
• Travellers travel for wider range of reasons medical, education, culture, religious, business,
• Can also shape the market perception of the
destination through the use of social media
Limited Market Integration
• In part due to high transportation costs
• Small markets – with monopoly tendencies
especially in transportation
• Weak institutions – regulatory, governance
Map Source: Wiki Commons
Limited Partnerships
• With the state and among Caribbean states
• Private Sector
• Civil society
Towards Enhanced Sustainability
•
•
•
•
Greater social integration into tourism mix Enhanced linkages
Evolution of Total Service Economy
Re-orientation of destination from producer of
services to producer of experiences
• Strengthened Institutions
• Better valorisation of the natural resource
base
• Expanded and more deliberate and
streamlined policy framework
Conclusion
Ultimately, the business
of sustainable tourism in
the Caribbean will be
about how we can be
efficient producers of
experiences for a global
market place.
Thank You!
Photo Credits….
Sandra D. Alexander
www.mytobago.com
www.oneorchid.com