CDERA coordinator to address Caribbean sustainable tourism conference in Cuba

Jeremy Collymore, coordinator of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency (CDERA) suggested that Caribbean tourism leaders must recognize that the sustainable development of the region is influenced by how the tourism sector manages its assets and resources.

Collymore is recommending that tourism planners include natural hazards as one of the risks they must consider in designing and managing the industry. “In the Caribbean context the management of tourism assets and resources cannot be appropriately done without taking into consideration the natural hazards that we face and how we manage these hazards,” Collymore said.

He reminded industry officials that issues such as the standards used in the development of facilities, the safety and security of databases and market resources and electronic recovery plans are exposed during emergencies, emphasizing the need to plan for natural and other disasters.

“So we are saying that we want the tourism sector to become risk conscious and in this case include natural hazards as one of the risks elements they should consider in their design, management and response mechanisms,” he said while commenting on the need for a comprehensive regional approach to disaster management which makes a link between sustainable development and disaster management.

The plan calls for the integration of disaster management considerations in the development planning processes of Caribbean states and strong institutions to lead the process. This was why, he said, CDERA was looking to build partnerships with the tourism sector.

“What happens to the tourism sector in a time of crisis or as a result of the interface between the decisions we make in the built environment and the impact of a natural event will be critical to our own survival,” said Collymore, recalling that the Caribbean is one of the most tourism-dependent regions in the world.

The CDERA coordinator will address the subject of disaster management and preparedness at the sixth annual Caribbean Conference on Sustainable Tourism Development (STC-6) to be held at the Habana Libre Hotel in Havana, Cuba from April 27th to 30th, 2004.

The conference, themed Keeping the Right Balance – Land and Sea Encounter, will focus on balancing development on land with marine conservation.