The tourism industry has long been a significant source of revenue throughout the Caribbean. Factors such as climate and spending power attract tourists from throughout the world, which largely assists in alleviating the consequences of the limitations in other economic and geographic opportunities. Unfortunately, however, the tourism industry has faced a great deal of impact as a result of the prominence of natural disasters—and particularly hurricanes—in the region.
Hurricanes Irma and Maria had caused tremendous devastation within the region, as it had resulted in more than $1 billion in lost tourism revenue, and $6 billion in costs associated with recovery efforts (Peter, 2018). In order for Caribbean islands to continue to rely upon tourism as a primary source of revenue and prosperity within the region, further examination must be conducted on accommodating the environmental and economic impact.
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"Analyzing the Potential of the Caribbean’s Tourism Industry".
In the wake of these recent hurricanes, acknowledgment has been given to the reality that natural disasters represent the most significant economic and environmental threat to the region and its reliance upon tourism revenue. As such, the tourism industry can only truly allow for itself to experience growth and prosperity if rebuilding efforts place a focus on climate resilience (Sagar & Widge, 2018). While the Caribbean tourism industry may continue to lose out on tourism revenue during prominent hurricane seasons, climate-resilient rebuilding would at the very least minimize the loss of key infrastructure and avoid the need for future rebuilding.
The cost discrepancy between lost tourism revenue and rebuilding efforts following hurricanes Irma and Maria greatly emphasizes the value of climate-resilient rebuilding. As the Caribbean region continues to struggle with a lack of geographic and economic opportunities, placing more focus onto the tourism industry simply makes the most sense for the region, considering its demonstrable role in the region’s prosperity thus far.
