(CNS): According to a new report on Caribbean Tourism, the decline in the industry across the region continued throughout 2009 with many destinations seeing further falls. But despite the extremely difficult year for the sector, it also states that some destinations in the region began to recover towards the year end. Arrivals did not grow year-on-year, however, but the pace of annual decline began to slow. Full-year declines were mostly below 10% across the region with a few exceptions, including the Cayman Islands where tourism was down 10.2%.
Things were even worse for Grenada, with a 14.4% drop in arrivals and Montserrat with a 17.4% drop. Some limited arrivals growth was experienced in countries such as Jamaica 3.6%, Guyana 5.7%, Cuba 3.3%, Curaçao 0.4% and the Dominican Republic 0.3%.
The authors of the Caribbean Tourism Market Report said the slowing of the decline at the year end was probably due to the traditional increase in visitor arrivals following the end of the hurricane season in November and the holiday season around Christmas and New Year.
The reports forecasts that this is likely to continue in 2010 and arrivals may begin to return to growth early in the year, partly rebounding from the sharp declines of Q109.
Ongoing recovery will be dependent on the pace of economic recovery in the US, the Caribbean’s major tourist market. Preliminary figures for 2009 indicate that arrivals from the US to most Caribbean islands slowed significantly over the year, particularly in countries such as Anguilla (-24.3%), Montserrat (-21.4%) and St Vincent and the Grenadines (-18.8%).
Meanwhile, a recent UN World Tourism Organisation report predicted that the global tourist industry should recover strongly in 2010 after the economic crisis and the swine flu pandemic had produced "one of the most difficult years" for the sector. Around the world tourist arrivals fell by an estimated 4.0 percent in 2009 but should rebound to grow by 3.0 in 2010, it said in its annual World Tourism Barometer.
"2009 is considered to be one of the most difficult years that tourism has seen" for a long time, UNWTO Secretary General Taleb Rifai told a news conference on Monday. "The results of recent months suggest that recovery is underway, and even somewhat earlier and at a stronger pace than initially expected," although 2010 will still be a demanding year.”
He warned countries against premature withdrawal of stimulus measures that were helping the recovery and the temptation to impose extra taxes may jeopardise the pace of rebound.
The UN found that in the Americas, where arrivals were down 5.0 percent, the Caribbean returned to growth in the last four months of 2009.
Would be nice to know the stats for Bermuda, Bahamas, TCI and BVI as they are similar to us.
ROAD TO FULL ECONOMIC RECOVERY…..
Keep Cayman Beautiful,
Keep Cayman Clean
Keep Cayman Safe
Stay Away from Taxes
REMAIN A TAX HAVEN
Start a National Lottery
Work Experience Programs in every district
A Trade School in every district
Curfew for school kids all minors) & dangerous criminals
FREE Education for anyone that can not afford it.
Church people come out from behind your stained glass windows and win the loss on the street telling about Jesus’ Love for them.
$500 – HEFTY FINES FOR ‘LITTERING THE STREETS AND HIGHWAYS"
*GET RID OF MOUNT TRASHMORE IMMEDIATELY
*SMALL BUSINESS GRANTS TO BUSINESSES
*DOWN PAYMENT GRANTS TO INDIVIDUALS TO PURCHASE A HOME
*MORE SUPPORT PROGRAMS FOR THE POOR AND INDIGENTS.