The theme for this year's Caribbean Tourism Month is The Caribbean Awaits.
Caribbean Tourism Month is observed every November.
This theme, said Neil Walters, the CTO's Acting General-Secretary, compliments the region’s success in generally containing the spread of COVID-19 which has taken a major toll on tourism along with other sectors of our economies
"Caribbean countries have taken the required steps to protect our citizens and residents, conducted the required training to prepare our tourism and related frontline workers for the return of visitors and put the health protocols in place to reassure our potential visitors and residents that we take their health seriously. This has been the groundwork, and now we seek to rebuild the sector," he said in an address,
"We observe this year’s Caribbean Tourism Month with COVID-19 still affecting travel as the Caribbean and the rest of the world continue to await a vaccine. The impact on tourism has been immense – a 57 percent decline in arrivals during the first six months of 2020, an estimated 50 percent to 60 percent fall in visitor spend, and tens of thousands of jobs lost. Those still employed have, in several cases, accepted reductions in working hours and wage cuts," he added.
Walters said the resilience of the Caribbean is shown by the progress we have made towards the resumption of tourism activity.
"Currently, about 25 Caribbean countries have reopened their borders to commercial travel, either fully or partially, and others are putting the necessary measures in place to welcome visitors. This year’s theme further compliments the reopening of our borders, as the clarion call ‘We welcome you’ speaks to the fact that the Caribbean is the perfect place for those who have begun to travel or are thinking of travelling soon, to find solace in a place that is an oasis of health at this time."
The CTO, in conjunction with our members, has planned a number of social media activities in observance of the month.
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