Tourism partners in the Caribbean have come together to promote crisis protocols in the event of hurricanes, pandemics, or other natural disasters, with the aim of improving the safety and health of visitors, residents, and stakeholders.

The pioneering initiative the by Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), and the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), is designed to expand the tourism industry’s use of innovative tools and resources in order to mitigate such events, which threaten the sustainability of tourism and business operations.

With funding and technical assistance from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the project includes development of comprehensive communications and social media plans, along with a Health and Tourism Crisis Communications Toolkit to support Healthier Safer Tourism in the Caribbean. The toolkit is designed for tourism partners in the public and private sectors.

Participants have received information on training, sensitization, and awareness of the crisis communications toolkit, along with health safety tips and resources from CARPHA to protect employees and guests during extreme weather conditions.

The Crisis Communications Toolkit comprises five components that provide access to information on preparedness and response to public health threats.

• Regional Tools of the Tourism and Health Program (THP), which offers information on the nine CARPHA-developed regional THP tools
• Promotional Tools and Resources to engage travellers, and health and tourism partners
• Media Relations materials, including press release, media advisory and media pitch examples
• Social Media Guide to support consumer and personal handles
• Resources such as correspondence templates that can be used to establish and sustain the Tourism and Health Program in each country

The online toolkit’s components were developed based on feedback from tourism authorities in both the private and public sectors of pilot countries Barbados, Belize, and The Bahamas, as well as input from CARPHA, CHTA and CTO stakeholders. These resources will be accessible online to CTO and CHTA members.

Dona Regis-Prosper, Secretary-General and CEO of CTO, remarked, “The availability of these tools is timely during this year’s hurricane season. Collaboration and communication with our guests and internally with our stakeholders are essential to mitigate the effects of the global climate crisis.”

Dr. Lisa Indar, Ad Interim Executive Director of CARPHA and head of the THP, stated, “The tools would not only facilitate healthier safer tourism, but healthier safer populations as well. In the aftermath of hurricanes, as some member states are currently experiencing, increased cases of communicable diseases such as gastroenteritis, leptospirosis and dengue fever are highly likely. These additional tools would further enhance our efforts to mitigate against these health threats and protect both residents and visitors,” she added.

“As we’ve already witnessed, the earliest arrival of a Category 5 hurricane on record (Beryl), it is essential that we support one another and uphold strong planning and collaboration at the company and destination levels,” emphasized Vanessa Ledesma, Acting CEO and Director General of CHTA.

“We reaffirm our dedication to strengthening our preparedness and response efforts through the implementation of these new tools: the crisis communication tool, online training modules, and the regional visitor information management system,” she concluded.

Additional components of the project include “The Technology Enhancement and Digitalization of Regional Visitor Information Management Systems” and “Capacity Development, Training, and Promotion,” which includes the development of 16 online courses which will roll out shortly.