Caribean tourism contingency planning
Jeremy Collymore introduces this section, which looks at how involving the tourism sectors in contingency planning, and working on hazard reduction, are vital parts of safeguarding the economies of Caribbean countries.
The Caribbean has the unenviable and dubious distinction of being the second most hazard prone region in the world and is also the region most dependent on tourism. While floods, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are major hazards in this region, hurricanes are the most dominant hazard and have repeatedly dislocated activity in the tourist sector.
However, the region has recognised the importance of managing these risks and embarked on a suite of strategic initiatives.
Arturo Lopez-Portillo looks at possible solutions to the problems faced in countries such as the Caribbean, whose economies depend upon tourism. In these countries, the severe damage caused by hurricanes represents enormous economic consequences. The tourism industry must become more involved in disaster planning and preparedness, to identify possible disaster scenarios and response functions. In addition, it should assign responsibilities and design, revise, test and update emergency plans and procedures for the response to different natural and human-induced hazards.
Eleanor B Jones outlines the Barbados National Plan, mentioned in the previous articles, which is said to be a trendsetting and pioneering disaster risk management initiative for the tourism sector being led by Barbados for the Caribbean region.
An appropriate approach to disaster risk management in the tourism sector has been accepted as the Caribbean Comprehensive Disaster Management (CDM) Results-based Framework, which was developed through extensive regional consultations, and endorsed by CARICOM and the 16 CDERA member states between 2001 and 2002. The Framework identified, among other issues, the need for hazard information to be incorporated into development planning and decision-making, and for key economic sectors to actively promote disaster management.
Photo courtesy of Arturo Lopez-Portillo
The full text appears in Volume 2 Issue 4 of the Crisis Response Journal.
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