Tourism must be ready for upcoming disruptions, symposium told
The secretary-general of the Caribbean Tourism Organization says those in the tourism industry must be proactive when it comes to dealing with challenges such as hurricanes. Dona Regis-Prosper told the July 29 Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre Symposium in Toronto that she personally has had to contend with the aftermath of a punishing hurricane when she worked in the British Virgin Islands and that helped convince her of the need for preparation for such disasters.
“Resilience cannot begin when the crisis arrives,” she said. “It must begin long before. It must be built into our plans, our investments, our policies, and our institutions. But most importantly, resilience must be built into our people. Because buildings can be repaired. Infrastructure can be rebuilt. Systems can be restored. But it is people — their knowledge, their preparation, their confidence, and their ability to adapt — who determine how quickly and how successfully we recover. That is why building resilience must also mean investing in our people. Because the strongest destinations are not simply those with the best infrastructure , and prettiest sites and beaches. They are also those with the most prepared, empowered, and resilient people.
“As we begin this important symposium, let us recognize that the future of tourism will not be secured by one destination, one institution, or one sector acting alone. It will be secured through the partnerships we build, the investments we make, and the people we empower.”
Regis-Prosper noted the tourism industry is contending with numerous challenges, including climate change, with extreme weather becoming more frequent and severe. Other issues the industry is having to deal with include workforce challenges, technological disruption, evolving visitor expectations, and increasing demands for sustainability. “These challenges do not exist in isolation and as such, they cannot be solved in isolation,” Regis-Prosper said. “They require partnership. They require innovation.”
Regis-Prosper said her organization is committed to building a tourism sector that is stronger, more sustainable, and better prepared for the future.
“This understanding is at the heart of the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s Reimagine Plan — our strategic roadmap for the future of Caribbean tourism, which we launched last year,” she said. “This plan reflects our belief that the future of Caribbean tourism must be built on resilience, sustainability, innovation, and collaboration.
Among those on hand for the symposium were Gihana Galindo of the Cuba Tourist Board, CTO secretary-general Dona Regis-Prosper and Kyana Bowen, executive director with the United Nations Mobile Compact Network for the Caribbean.
“Over the past year, we have moved from vision to action. We have strengthened our membership, bringing renewed energy and collaboration across our regional tourism family. We continue to advance our sustainability program, recognizing that protecting our natural and cultural assets is essential to protecting our tourism future. And we are investing in stronger research and tourism intelligence so that our decisions are guided by data, evidence, and a deeper understanding of the changing global tourism landscape.”
Regis-Prosper also said her organization has taken action on other fronts. “As part of this renewed approach, we have also recognized the importance of strengthening the supply side of tourism — the people, systems, businesses, and institutions that support our destinations and enable our industry to thrive,” she continued.
“We have established a dedicated CTO Tourism Supply Side Committee, led by (Jamaican Tourism Minister Edmund) Bartlett, with clear Terms of Reference focused on strengthening destination resilience, improving product quality, deepening linkages between tourism and productive sectors, increasing regional value retention, and supporting the long-term competitiveness and sustainability of Caribbean tourism. These are not separate initiatives. And they require a shared commitment to building a tourism sector that is stronger, more sustainable, and better prepared for the future.”
Regis-Prosper also thanked the Jamaica-based Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre and Toronto’s George Brown Polytechnic — which hosted the venue and has worked with the resilience and crisis management centre — for their efforts.
Meanwhile, George Brown president Gervan Fearon told the gathering that “tourism is a major economic driver in both Canada and the Caribbean. In Canada, the sector supported more than 700,000 jobs in 2024. Across the Caribbean, tourism accounts for nearly one in every five dollars of the region’s economy. Those numbers remind us that when tourism is disrupted, the impacts extend well beyond the industry itself. Communities, workers and local businesses all feel it. That is why bringing together leaders from government, industry and education is so important.”
Fearon noted that George Brown staff has “proactive conversations with tourism stakeholders across Canada and the Caribbean, asking what challenges will have the greatest impact on the future of tourism. The answers were remarkably consistent. Climate and environmental sustainability. Workforce development and retention. Supply chains, transportation and food security.
“Those priorities have shaped the conversations you will have over the next two days,” he told symposium delegates.
