The Caribbean's new tourism

By David Jessop
Director of the Caribbean Council


Across the Caribbean, governments and the tourism industry are developing new strategies and initiatives aimed at trying to offset the fall in visitor arrivals that most nations expect from April onwards as a consequence of the global economic crisis.

As nothing else before has done, the recession has caused a much needed and long overdue recognition of the importance of an industry that over the last two decades has come to dominate almost all Caribbean economies and create important linkages with local manufacturing, services and agriculture.

Tourism threatened

Recently the United Nations' Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) made clear the potential threat that the recession posed to the industry in the region.

It noted that about 75 per cent of tourists to the English-speaking Caribbean came from economies in recession; predicted that tourism in 2009 will only grow by a maximum of between zero and two per cent; and reported that tourism has become the main source of income for all but the three Caribbean economies (Guyana, Suriname and Trinidad).

In response to the impending crisis in tourism Jamaica, the OECS, Barbados and the Bahamas have introduced fiscal relief programmes for the industry and have identified new forms of marketing support and other measures aimed at stimulating tourism growth.

But while these are welcome developments, in some cases they are short term and carry with them the implied or actual suggestion that within a year or so business will return to normal.

Unfortunately, this may not be the case in most of the region’s major markets for reasons that go back to well before the present crisis began.

Decline

Since 2007 the international travel market has been undergoing a process of change as a consequence of which the Caribbean (with the notable exceptions of Jamaica, Cuba and the Dominican Republic) had begun to experience a significant decline in tourism arrivals as competition grew from other global destinations.

There are many reasons for this but all in the end come down to whether the Caribbean’s tourism offering is internationally competitive and if the specific mix of product, marketing, reputation and facilities in individual nations, reflect the aspirations of an increasingly diversified international travel market.

Put another way is very easy for regional destinations to continue doing the same thing: seeing vacations in the Caribbean as only being about sun and sand; building more rooms; continuing to focus on all-inclusives, condominiums and attracting global brands; and relying on traditional feeder markets, without recognising that the tourism market is changing

Segmentation

The new tourism market is becoming more segmented and subject to clients changing aspirations about themselves, their lifestyles and where and how they wish to vacation.

This is not to say that the regions traditional market for beach vacations will disappear.

Rather it is to ask the question how the region might extend its industry in ways that are new, and to note the need to add value to the existing product through facilities and attractions that encourage more higher end visitors.

Most studies on future trends in tourism identify radically changing approaches on the part of these visitors.

They tend to divide visitor thinking by age and wealth.

They suggest there will be time rich individuals largely between 50 and 70 years of age on good pensions who can travel without constraint.

These are visitors who are looking to broaden their experience, knowledge and happiness through understanding more about where they visit and more about themselves through what they experience or through more formal learning.

In effect they are not tourists they are travellers.

Tailor made vacations

They want to change the relationship between host and guest and seek genuine rather than staged experiences.

They want a destination to offer opportunities to be able to extend themselves through creative pursuits and educational, spiritual or religious activity in order to mark a way point in their life.

By default this rapidly growing segment of the market require tailor made vacations and much more in the way of alternative facilities to those offered by traditional beach hotels, tour operators and cruise lines.


boats in a Caribbean harbour

Such visitors contrast greatly with another category: those that are time-poor but relatively well off financially.

This group will typically be in professional or skilled employment, be between twenty and forty and willing to spend money in a manner that will deliver an experience through a single purchase that requires a travel agent, tour operator or local company prepared to provide a complete, high quality services from arrival to departure.

Beyond this changing profile of visitors and their needs other changes are taking place in the international tourism market.

Expanding markets

Traditionally the region has sourced the majority of its visitors from North America and Europe and to a much lesser extent the rest of the region. It has also placed an emphasis on returning friends and family.

However, the new high growth markets for travel are non-traditional; the emerging economies of Brazil, China, India and Russia while there is a slowly growing appetite for long haul travel from the EU states of Eastern Europe.

The challenge is to find new ways to establish the region and individual destinations as brands in these markets and as being locations where visitors can do more than lie on the beach or play golf.

Jamaica has already proved that market diversification is possible. It has enhanced its brand with much help from the international recognition of reggae and its sporting achievement.

It is moving rapidly to develop a new product mix that includes a wide range of events, it is cultivating faith based tourism; has diversified its market so that it is seeking visitors from China, the far East and Latin America, is planning a school of hospitality using international expertise to improve training and service levels; and is exploring many other possibilities that will appeal to the new traveller.

This is the precise moment at which the industry across the region and government should be undertaking some soul searching about what it offers and looking at its shortcomings and identifying how it might take advantage of the global upturn when it occurs.

--BBC Caribbean.com

Antiguans await election date

Antigua's Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer has kept voters guessing as to when they will go to the polls to elect a new government.

Addressing a political rally Sunday night, Mr Spencer would only announce that parliament had been dissolved as of Monday, and he had to ensure "that certain things are in place" before he can set a date.

The two main political parties had started unofficial campaigning well ahead of the prime minister's speech.

Both political camps have been regularly issuing counter releases putting corruption and crime on the campaign agenda.

The governing United Progressive Party (UPP) will be seeking its second term at the upcoming poll.

The UPP took up office in March 2004, after it defeated the Antigua Labour Party (ALP), which led the country for 28 years.

To the wire

Some political observers have expressed surprise that Mr Spencer appears to be taking his term down to the wire, even though unofficial campaigning began last November.

Political analyst Philip Abbott offers critical support to the government.

He told BBC Caribbean that the effects of the financial crisis will only get worse and that the prime minister should call the election sooner rather than later.

"The US economy affects us a lot, things in the US are not going too good right now.

"The same thing in Europe - we are a tourism-based country and all the factors of tourism are slowing down," Mr Abbott, a member of the Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM), said.

Crime

In addition to the effects of the financial crisis, rising crime is also expected to feature prominently in the run-up to the election.

The government has sought help from foreign police officers to deal with increased criminal activity.

However, Canadian-born Police Commissioner Gary Nelson was fired in July 2008.

Mr Nelson had been in charge when a Welsh honeymooning couple had been killed at an Antiguan resort.

In the high-profile exchange of words after the dismissal, government had said that Mr Nelson's probationary period had not been renewed.


Lester Bird voting in 2004 polls

In 2004, Lester Bird had said the elections had been based on a time for change

Mr Nelson had questioned the resources given to Antigua's police force and has filed a lawsuit against the government.

"Overboard"

CCM's Philip Abbott noted that both political parties seem desperate to be elected.

"The UPP has been putting forward what it has done, to some extent, but they're also going a bit overboard in other ways.

"The Labour Party has certainly gone overboard in certain directions," Mr Abbot said.

Last election

Baldwin Spencer led the UPP to a landslide victory in general elections in March 2004.

The ALP had been seeking a seventh term in office.

The UPP win had ended the political dynasty of the Bird family, which had dominated Antiguan politics for more than half a century.

Current ALP leader Lester Bird had run Antigua and Barbuda as prime minister from 1994 to 2004 after taking over from his father Vere Bird senior, the country's first prime minister.

During his 2004 campaign, Mr Spencer promised to fight corruption and added that "crimes committed against the people" would not go unpunished.

In 2004, Mr Bird had told BBC Caribbean that his party had laid down strict anti-corruption guidelines, following a 2002 inquiry into the national medical insurance scheme that led to fraud charges against seven officials.

Mr Bird had said after the 2004 result that the people had just wanted a change.

"Elections were not contested on issues but on the basis of a time for change," he said at the time.

The election campaign promises to take place during a busy time for Antiguans and Barbudans for several reasons other than politics.

The hearing into the case against the two men charged with killing the Welsh honeymoon couple from south Wales is now scheduled to take place on 25 March.

And, the second test between England and the West Indies takes place in Antigua 13-17 February.

--BBC Caribbean.com