The Ministerial Meeting which was held in Havana, Cuba, on October 19 provided an opportunity for Tourism Ministers to exchange experiences and propose alternatives regarding tourism policies, aimed at increasing the contribution of tourism to the sustainable development of the Greater Caribbean.

In his opening remarks, ACS Secretary General Ruben Silié Valdez reminded the delegations of the regional challenges to take advantage of the tourism industry's ability to enrich the economies, as well as the quality of life of communities, stating that "the adequate use of our socio-cultural and environmental wealth of the region and its transformation into economic wealth and citizens welfare could only be conquered by the contribution of all tourism stakeholders under the leadership of our Tourism Ministers". 

In the dialogue which followed, the meeting agreed on the need to present a unified position on the issues that affect the future of the Caribbean tourism industry. The Declaration of Havana on Tourism in the Greater Caribbean emanating from the Ministerial Meeting reflects this commitment, and is a key instrument for the development of sustainable tourism strategies.

The document focused on several key themes and mandates of the ACS, among them, the establishment of the Sustainable Tourism Zone of the Caribbean, the Regional Network for Tourist Safety and Security, Training in the official languages of the ACS, Multidestination Tourism and Cruise ship Tourism. The meeting also agreed to include in the declaration a paragraph expressing the position of the Greater Caribbean with regard to policies being taken outside the region that may affect Caribbean tourism.

The declaration recognised the tourism sector as one of the most important sources of foreign direct investment and foreign exchange earnings, and welcomed initiatives under the ACS to establish tourism programmes with a view to increasing the number of visitors to the region, in accordance with the concept of sustainability.

With respect to the Sustainable Tourism Zone of the Caribbean (STZC) the declaration recognised that the STZC Convention creates the first sustainable tourism zone in the world. A commitment was given to actively participate in the development of the STZC Strategic Plan by including the main regional issues such as crime; terrorism and drug trafficking; safety, security and health; leakages from the tourism sector; linkages to other sectors of the economy; disaster management and preparedness; communication and tourism awareness; and management and planning capacity as part of national tourism development agendas and for institutionalising the process at the national level.

The declaration exhorted the relevant public and private sector organisations and entities operating in the cruise tourism sector to ensure greater regional dialogue and to consider the possibility of establishing an Association of Caribbean Cruise Ship Destinations, as this would contribute to a greater degree of leverage in discussions with the cruise industry.

The importance of policy level initiatives to drive the process for the dissemination of languages among Member States was also reflected in the document which stated, "We underscore the importance of language in the understanding of cultures, and the potential benefits to regional trade in goods and services." Reference was made to the importance of the region's image as a safe haven for tourists, and the need to increase tourist confidence and safety in visiting the Greater Caribbean destinations.

The declaration committed countries to "holding internal consultations with the relevant authorities in relation to the process of establishing the Regional Network on Tourist Safety and Security in accordance with the institutional framework of each country".

Multidestination tourism was highlighted as a viable niche market strategy and as having potential to be a major contributor to the development of the STZC.

Special mention was made of the initiative to declare the Caribbean Sea as a special area in the context of Sustainable Development, with specific reference to the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. Given the possible negative impact to the tourism industry of the Greater Caribbean region by policy measures that are being adopted by countries outside the region, the declaration called on the ACS Member States and Associate Members to engage in dialogue and coordination of strategies in formulating common responses to measures such as this and to minimise their impact.

Ms Jasmin Garraway is the Sustainable Tourism Director of the Association of Caribbean States. The opinions expressed are not necessarily the official views of the ACS. Comments and reactions can be sent to mail@acs-aec.org