The main representatives of the private tourism sector that meet on this island of Puerto Rico, in the World Travel and Tourism Summit (WTTC), They highlighted that this travel and tourism sector could total US$100,000 million in the next 10 years and generate 1.34 million jobs.
To this end, they indicated that greater coordination between the governments of the Caribbean region and the businessmen.
The Sustainability and Investment Summit of the World Travel and Tourism Council is the first time it has been held in a country in the region and the aspirations, as highlighted Frank Rainieri, president of the Punta Cana Group is that it will soon be held in the Dominican Republic.
Rainieri exposed the Dominican experience in the preservation of colares and the importance of human capital in the sector.
The Governor of Puerto Rico, Pedo Pierluisi in the opening speech highlighted the growth that the Island of Enchantment has had in attracting tourists and the commitment of your Government to promote it.
In that sense, he said that they have provision of 120 million federal funds to make tourism more profitable, the restructuring of the forests and create more sources of employment. Make tourism more friendly to the environment.
On your side, Julia Simpson, president and CEO of the WTTC, at the opening of the forum, endorsed the firm commitment of the sector to preserve the planet, its biodiversity and reduce climate change.
He released a new WTTC report looking at the region’s future growth. The document addresses a number of challenges facing the islands and sets out clear recommendations to maximize the growth potential of the Caribbean.
The Caribbean is highly dependent on travel and tourism and international visitors. In 2019, the sector’s contribution to The region’s GDP was 13.9% (US$61.5 billion), falling to just 7.1% (US$28.8 billion) in 2020, which represented a staggering 53.2% loss. The sector also supported more than 2.7 million jobs in the region, before experiencing a staggering 25.8%, falling to 2.1 million in 2020, suffering a higher drop than the world average.
According to the latest report, the sector’s contribution to GDP could grow at an average rate of 6.7% per year over the next decade, outpacing the overall growth of the region’s economy. Caribbean Travel & Tourism’s contribution to the GDP of the region could reach more than 100 billion dollars by 2032.
To achieve this, the world tourism body notes that stronger collaboration across the Caribbean region, investment in infrastructure, better air connectivity and investment in the workforce, will be critical, as the Caribbean competes with other parts of the world.
Collaboration with the private sector along with tourism industry organizations such as the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) and other local associations will also be key to achieving this long-term growth.
The report also indicates how sustainability and nature protection are also key elements that will improve resilience for the future and speed your recovery.
WTTC’s ‘Travel & Tourism in the Caribbean: Prospects for Growth’ report analyzes the impact of the travel and tourism sector in the region, as well as the post-pandemic recovery and key challenges and recommendations to ensure a sustainable future for the Caribbean. region.
"The Caribbean Travel & Tourism sector has led the world, but during the pandemic was severely affected with the loss of 600,000 jobs and its value as a sector was halved by more than 50%.”
Simpson assured that the Caribbean depends on international travelers more than any other region in the world, and emphasized that: " The potential for the Caribbean is enormous, but to achieve a sustained long-term recovery, governments must work together, with one voice, to create cohesive policies, invest in infrastructure and focus on intra-regional collaboration.".
In 2019, the contribution of the Caribbean travel and tourism sector to GDP was 13.9% ($61.5 billion), down from just 7.1% ($28.8 billion) in 2020, which represented a significant loss of 53.2%. In 2019, the sector also supported more than 2.7 million jobs throughout the region, before experiencing 25.8%, reducing to 2.1 million in 2020, that is, a drop higher than the world average.
