Jamaica to host high-level OAS policy forum on tourism resilience
Jamaica is to host a high-level policy forum of the Organization of American States (OAS) next week on safeguarding the region's tourism sector from disruptions.
In emphasising the significance of the meeting, which runs from July 20 to 21, Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett said the talks relate primarily to building resilience among the Small and Medium-sized Tourism Enterprises (SMTEs) to withstand disasters and external shocks.
“The capacity building initiative will go a far way as we seek to future-proof the sector from an impending recession and other future shocks that the industry may face…we need to be able to develop our capacity to respond to it,” said Bartlett.
Stressing the Caribbean's dependence on tourism, Bartlett pointed out that if SMTEs are not able to manage the looming recession, the tourism industry will feel the full effects of it.
He said SMTEs represent 80% of the stakeholders of the industry.
The tourism minister said the OAS meeting will provide tools to the countries that are under its umbrella to help them better manage disruptions, including those of the climatic and economic types.
The event is being organised in collaboration with the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association.
Bartlett said the two-day meeting will “showcase Jamaica as being one of the countries that have done extremely well in preparing its stakeholders for disasters, as per the pandemic” among other things.
He said it will entail discussions on issues such as the barriers and challenges facing small tourism enterprises, crisis communication, business continuity planning tools, and the establishment of Community Emergency Response Teams.
Bartlett outlined that the high-level discussion is being sponsored by the OAS with the support of the United States and will see numerous countries being represented at the event, which will be held at the Holiday Inn in Montego Bay, St James.
Bartlett was recently elected Chairman of the OAS Inter-American Committee on Tourism.
The meeting of the high-level delegates next week is one of the first items on his agenda during his chairmanship.
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