Developing infrastructure within the tourism industry is seen as central to its continual growth

BY PAUL JUNOR

It was an exciting discussion at the Global Tourism Resilience Conference when diverse stakeholders tackled the: challenges, issues, and concerns related to developing Infrastructure.

The varied stakeholders and sectors include cruise lines, aircraft services, hotels, attractions, airports, lands, and ports; they are crucial elements within the tourism ecosystem. There is a focus on creative and innovative approaches that highlight: efficiency, sustainability, and safety in conjunction with sophisticated technology, best practices management strategies and partnerships with public and private sectors. The focus of the panel was to provide professionals in the tourism industry with valuable insights into developing resilient tourist infrastructures capable of tackling future challenges.

The second panel of the GTRC was moderated by Dr. Omar Robinson (Chief Operating Officer of Arya QSA Limited). He skillfully managed the workshop session as the different panelists presented their: unique perspectives, views and experiences that shaped their overall understanding of what it takes to build infrastructure.

Ms. Joy Roberts (Executive Director of Jamaica Vacations Limited), started her session by posing the question, “What is resilience and sustainability?” She answered by stating, “Sustainability is for my grandkids. If I don’t have resilience, I won’t have sustainability.” She presented data which showed that there has been a 30% increase in the tourism sector and that one in 10 individuals are dependent on tourism for their livelihoods. According to WTTC (2023), sustainable tourism was the major trend in 2022. She highlighted the importance of resilience with respect to how it impacts the vacation tourism sector.

The second speaker was Ms. Alicia Montalvo (Manager of Climate Action and Positive Biodiversity, CAF-Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean). She states, “Tourism is everything and everything is tourism. Tourism improves the quality of life and improves the environment.”

The third speaker Mr. John Byles (Managing Partner at Chukka Caribbean Adventures and Executive Director at Chukka Cove Caribbean) presented a unique perspective on resilience. His perspective focused on nature adventurers. He mentioned that tourism can be conceptualized as nature and has the ability to thrive and survive. He states, “The power of nature is the power of the human spirit.” He presented practical examples of the inherent adaptability of nature to changing environmental and ecological challenges.

Mrs. Nicola Madden-Greig (President, Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association), mentioned that there has been an increase from 19.5 million to 33 million tourists. She recounts the WTCC study released in 2023, which highlights some important facts. She talked about a comprehensive vision and important issues that need to be addressed.

Mr. Shane Munroe (Chief Executive Officer Montego Bay Jamaica Airports Limited), spoke about several of the key challenges with respect to “infrastructure” resilience. They include the following:

• Climate change resilience
• Infrastructure resilience
• Cyber-security resilience
• Disaster and emergency response

Mr. Wade Mars (Executive Director of The Tourism Product Development Company Limited), spoke about his company’s role in tourism resilience. He posits a broad definition of resilience to include both the natural and ecological aspects as well as human resources.

Dr. Omar Robinson posed the following three questions to the panelists:

1. 1.How can international organizations foster collaboration between governments, the private sector, and civil society to achieve the sustainable development goals related to tourism infrastructure and sustainable development?
2. What initiatives, or campaigns are being undertaken to raise awareness about the importance of resilient tourism infrastructure among stakeholders and the general public?
3. What measures are being are being taken to enhance the safety and security of tourists through technological advancements in infrastructure management?