Caribbean Tourism Stakeholders Underscore Importance of Collaboration
Just three weeks into the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season, the Caribbean has already witnessed three tropical storms, which forecasters indicate was an early and aggressive start to the annual hurricane season.
With that news as a backdrop, a virtual forum of the region’s key stakeholders gathered last week and one of the key takeaways from the event was that effective, strategic crisis communications will be critical when responding to and recovering from both natural and also manmade disasters.
“Communication plays a vital role in managing crises, as it shapes perceptions, builds trust, and ensures that accurate and timely information reaches both internal and external audiences during times of crisis … (which) can mean the difference between chaos and order, despair and hope,” Neil Walters, acting Secretary General of the intergovernmental Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), told forum participants.
Collaboration across regional, national, and community levels, will be essential, along with proactive communications, the forum members agreed. All of these elements will form the backbone of successful crisis management and resilience for the Caribbean tourism industry not only throughout the coming season but in years ahead.
Preparedness Goes Beyond Hurricanes
Another disaster that impacted the region, the global COVID-19 pandemic was also among the forum discussion topics.
Referring to the COVID-19 pandemic as “the world’s most devastating health crisis in over 100 years,” Nicola Madden-Greig, director of marketing and sales for The Courtleigh Hospitality Group in Jamaica, and president of CHTA, said that partnership between the CTO and CHTA on disaster preparedness has been pivotal in navigating the various challenges that confront the Caribbean tourism sector.
“Effective collaboration must be accompanied by effective communications, and in the age of multiple channels of communications, and when any of us with a cell phone and internet access can quickly report, accurately or not, on the status of a crisis, it is essential that we continue to build and implement sound communication plans to ensure that what is actually happening on the ground is reported in the most accurate way,” said Madden-Greig.
Timely, accurate press releases and updates are also a key part of any kind of disaster preparedness and response, said Bevan Springer, president of Marketplace Excellence (MPE) who moderated the session.
Springer added that it is equally important to ensure the narrative is from a Caribbean perspective, thereby framing the destination’s future agenda.”
“Every crisis prepares us to deal with the next crisis, and learning from one crisis to another is something that is critically important,” Springer said.
Springer, who is also founder and president of the Caribbean Media Exchange (CMEx), recommended developing post-crisis marketing plans to reboot and recover—similar to what MPE and the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism implemented in the wake of the twin “Irmaria” storms in 2017. That effort, said Springer, helped get the Territory “back on the map and into the marketplace” by partnering with airlines, travel advisors, and other strategic partners.
The virtual tourism forum, which focused on Crisis Communications and Best Practices for Hazards Response and Recovery, was the second in a series, jointly organized events from the CTO and CHTA. The gatherings are part of broader efforts to support disaster preparedness for the tourism sector.
This coveted Caribbean region, renowned for its unparalleled climate, nature and culture, is experiencing significant growth after the pandemic. It has been bustling this summer with a variety of new hotel and resort offerings, as well as new flights and connectivity.