Sunday, April 7, 2024
As the Caribbean gears up for a series of significant gatherings, including lively festivals, carnivals, reunions, and the eagerly awaited ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup, key figures in tourism and public health are emphasizing the importance of vigilance. They are renewing their pledge to maintain stringent health safety protocols.
In the lead-up to these exciting occasions, there’s a collective effort to reinforce adherence to crucial health guidelines, aiming to safeguard both workers and guests. Central to this effort is the enhancement of the Caribbean Public Health Agency’s (CARPHA) Tourism Health Information System (THiS), which aims for rapid detection and action in the face of health emergencies. Additionally, CARPHA is focused on enhancing regional capabilities in areas such as food safety and the mitigation of infectious disease spread within the tourism sector.
This initiative is part of a long-standing cooperation spanning a decade between Caribbean health and tourism authorities. This partnership has been pivotal for the region’s quick bounce back from the worldwide COVID-19 crisis, which the World Health Organization declared more than four years ago. The foundation for this cooperation was the Caribbean Tourism and Health Program (THP), established in 2014 through an agreement between CARPHA, the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).
The Caribbean’s adept management of the pandemic, demonstrated by one of the lowest COVID-19 rates per capita and one of the quickest tourism and economic recoveries globally, lays a solid groundwork for revitalizing its events and group travel sector. With such activities comprising more than a fifth of the region’s tourism revenue, maintaining a healthful setting is critical for ongoing prosperity.
Nicola Madden Greig, President of CHTA, underscored the importance of “cohesive regional cooperation,” which was advanced during the pandemic. She said she had full confidence in the unified public-private sector approach to collaboration: “With the Caribbean being on such a positive growth trajectory, we cannot be complacent, and our efforts must be bolstered by a strong communications approach to continue to protect our residents and visitors while reaping the rewards of our resilient tourism industry.”
Dr. Joy St. John, Executive Director of CARPHA, concurred, asserting, “Globally, we are witnessing a resurgence of diseases such as measles, dengue fever, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) and noroviruses, while new COVID-19 variants continue to develop. As one of the world’s leading travel destinations, we must remain vigilant to protect our employees and visitors.”
Similarly, CTO’s Secretary General, Dona Regis-Prosper, stressed, “As we continue to welcome visitors to experience the Caribbean’s breathtaking natural beauty and vibrant cultural heritage, we must uphold our commitment to ensuring a healthy environment.”
Dr. Didacus Jules, Director General of the OECS, shared his commendation of the relaunch and stated, “The OECS is delighted to see the return of major events allowing residents and visitors to share in our authentic experiences, and is pleased to continue its partnership with CARPHA and other regional tourism organizations towards healthier, safer tourism.”
In support of these goals and response to recent health and safety concerns, CARPHA is redoubling its outreach to the tourism industry, offering training, online tools, and resources to enhance health safety protocols.
Dr. Lisa Indar, Director of the Surveillance Disease Prevention and Control Division and Head of the Regional Tourism and Health Program at CARPHA, noted, “This year, we have launched a robust outreach effort to urge all Caribbean tourism-related businesses to renew their commitments to health and safety, refresh their training and protocols, and participate in the highly effective Tourism and Health Information System (THiS), a confidential online knowledge, help center and reporting system, and other CARPHA trainings, all towards advancing a healthier safer tourism product.”
Wednesday, May 1, 2024
Wednesday, May 1, 2024
