Caribbean Sun Still Shines Despite Upheavals
Tourists are being advised to go on their Caribbean holidays as a destructive but thankfully relatively un-deadly hurricane season draws to a close.
Hurricane Tomas claimed the lives of 14 people on the island of St. Lucia early in the month of November. The Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF) paid out $13 million to islands effected by the rampant destruction, including Barbados, St. Lucia and St. Vincent. Whilst the speed with which even St Lucia got back on its feet has impressed many, the destruction has lead many in the Caribbean to question whether their economies are sustainable. Others are taking heart in the fact that all twelve of the hurricanes failed to make landfall in the US, keeping a valuable source market in good health.
The bad weather has been less than positive news for the wider Caribbean economy which relies so heavily on the tourism sector. Whilst Trinidad and Tobago have rebounded well from the economic recession, their Oil and Gas leaves them uniquely privileged among Caribbean countries. Others rely all too heavily on Tourism, timber and agriculture which are always heavily effected in the aftermath of a hurricane (as happened in St. Lucia). Critics of Caribbean Economy are insisting that produce must diversify. They also believe that other source markets should be looked to: emerging markets like China and India, relatively unaffected by global recession.
The problem with tourism isn’t that the sun has stopped shining of course. A trip to Barbados, St. Lucia, Jamaica or any of the rest of these fabulous islands is a beautiful and unspoilt and wonderful as it’s ever been. However, there’s a futher problem: the Caribbean no longer has sole control over the image of the tropical paradise. Mauritius holidays are among a barrage of alternatives halfway around the world, and also of great appeal to the European market. Tourists are also finding new tropical destinations, such as appealing Thailand holidays for a continental tropical climate.
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