Tourism Stakeholders Endorse DRM Tools

Tourism and allied industry stakeholders have endorsed the comprehensive suite of Disaster Risk Management (DRM) tools developed for the sector.

The provisions are the brainchild of Portfolio Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, and comprise a Disaster Risk Management Plan Template and Guidelines, a Business Continuity Plan Template and Guidebook, and a National Destination Assurance Framework and Strategy.

He presented packages of these to several stakeholders attending a recent handover ceremony at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston.

The documents, which were developed in tandem with several partners, are designed to bolster the tourism sector’s resilience and safeguard it against weather-related disruptions, such as hurricanes and storms, among other crises.

The stakeholders’ endorsements come against the background of their recognition that Jamaica’s tourism product is highly dependent on the country’s natural resources, such as beaches and coral reefs, and climate-based activities.

Further, that damage to, or destruction of these could adversely dislocate stakeholders deriving their livelihoods and other interests from the sector, as evidenced over the years.

Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) Executive Director, Camille Needham, in welcoming the provisions, said while the country’s natural resources and climate-based activities contribute to its attractiveness as a destination, “their vulnerability to shocks and disruptions [can potentially] disrupt its resilience, sustainability and, ultimately, our competitiveness”.

“Tourism risk management, therefore, is critical for our analysis, assessment, treatment and monitoring of the risks we face from season to season [and] year to year,” the Executive Director added.

Mrs. Needham cited a “cycle of disasters” that have been experienced by countries globally in recent years, noting that these have been inimical to their growth and development.

“We believe that the losses they may inflict and the impact on individuals, industries and governments can be reduced with an effective disaster risk management programme. We see the development of a disaster risk management model that is unique to the tourism industry as an immediate priority,” she said.

The Executive Director maintained that “it is an investment in our employees, families and communities and the natural resources that sustain our livelihoods”.

As such, she commended Minister Bartlett and all partner stakeholders for producing the DRM tools, which “I think will very much be a game changer”.

Meanwhile, Acting Director General of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), Richard Thompson, who spoke at the ceremony, said the tools represented a continuation of work undertaken by the Ministry in partnership with the agency and other public and private-sector stakeholders to build on the foundation laid over the years for mainstreaming DRM and response practices in the tourism sector.

He pointed out that this process involved exploring and analysing the creation of a “strong culture” of preparedness and resilience building, and an alignment of “strong leadership” in ensuring the tourism product’s protection.

“The effort of the Ministry of Tourism cannot be overstated, as it falls within the National Framework for addressing disaster risk management and climate change imperatives. We congratulate the Minister and the efforts of the team at the Ministry for the work done in building on what we have laid for many years… in ensuring that our tourism product remains viable,” Mr. Thompson said.

For his part, Executive Director of the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), Dr. Carey Wallace, noted that the viability of Jamaica’s tourism product relies on having a healthy natural, cultural and human resource-based ecosystem.

Consequently, he said that as it relates to disruptions, it is imperative to have mechanisms that mitigate whatever the conditions are to facilitate the continuation of activities pertaining to the economy and environment, among other areas.

“It’s important for us to always be solid and strong. We cannot allow disasters to keep putting us back, whether it’s economically, socially [or] environmentally; we just have to become better at pushing through these challenges,” Dr. Wallace maintained.

In the meantime, Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo) Executive Director, Wade Mars, said Jamaica’s reputation as a sought-after visitor destination could only be sustained if resources are allocated and measures undertaken to ensure its longevity.

“The handover of these DRM tools is, therefore, a major step in continuing that response… [that] we have practised… for a long time,” he added.

Minister Bartlett, in his remarks, noted that $375 billion in assets has been lost and nearly five million people affected by severe weather disruptions, including hurricanes, since 2017.

He pointed out, however, that Jamaica was, fortunately, spared much of the resulting dislocation.

Mr. Bartlett maintained that it is imperative and critical to continue building Jamaica’s capacity to be able to respond well to disruptions.

As such, he said the development and provision of the DRM tools “is very valuable as we hone our skills and improve our tools to help to manage and mitigate [disruptions]”.

The Disaster Risk Management tools are intended to provide clear guidance to the management and staff of tourism entities on the basic infrastructure and requisite operating procedures to mitigate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies.

The Business Continuity Plan’s development has been complemented by the training and certification of several representatives of allied State agencies, who will be tasked with engaging tourism industry stakeholders and guiding their implementation of the document’s guidelines.