Tourism industry urged to be ready for active hurricane season

The Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) and the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) have urged the tourism sector to step up preparations for the 2022 Atlantic Hurricane Season.

The Atlantic Hurricane Season runs from June 1 until November 30, and the U.S.-based National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is predicting activity will be “above average” this year. Between 14 to 21 named storms have been forecast, with six to 10 likely to become hurricanes and three to six to be major events – Category 3 or above on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.

Underscoring the importance of tourism to the socio-economic development of the region, the CTO and CHTA will be undertaking separate and joint initiatives to increase awareness across the sector in the coming weeks to reinforce preparations.

Acting CTO Secretary-General Neil Walters said that exhaustive planning and information-gathering by all stakeholders were critical, pointing out this was key to the continued resilience of the sector especially during the upcoming season.

“CTO has always provided critical tools aimed at mitigating disasters, such as the Multi-Hazard Risk Management Guide which is available to planners through the online tourism training centre, the Caribbean Tourism Institute,” Walters said.

“The importance of preparedness cannot be reiterated enough. It has proven to be one of the key factors enabling the sector to make swift and solid recoveries following setbacks.”

The guide addresses all phases of the disaster management cycle through the dissemination of crisis communication and social media best practices, and both tourism bodies will continue such awareness initiatives in the weeks ahead.

Vanessa Ledesma, Acting CEO and Director General of CHTA, which has played a pivotal role in helping regional stakeholders navigate the hurricane season through awareness campaigns, reiterated the value of planning and preparedness.

“We will continue to provide extensive education on insurance, best practices for businesses, communication strategies, cancellation practices and regional response mechanisms to ensure stakeholders can weather any challenges associated with this year’s season,” she said.

Both CTO and CHTA believe high levels of preparedness have enabled Caribbean destinations to rebound swiftly from natural disasters in the past.

CTO and CHTA attribute the region’s readiness to the Caribbean’s ability to bounce back faster than most areas of the world from a crisis situation.

As part of preparation activities, the two organisations are conducting a two-part readiness training session on June 10 and June 30 for public and private sector tourism managers. (PR)