REGIONNAL SYMPOSIUM ON SERVICES

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REGIONNAL SYMPOSIUM ON SERVICES

• STRATEGIC PLAN ON TOURISM SERVICES IN THE CARICOM
  SINGLE MARKET AND ECONOMY (CSME)
• Cecil Miller

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Importance of Tourism

• Contribution to GDP, employment and foreign
  exchange earnings
• Linkages and added value to other economic
  sectors e.g. agriculture, manufacturing and
  handicraft
• Catalyst for development in several other areas
  of the economy, including ancillary services and
  infrastructure - especially air and seaports and
  roads
• Economic rationale for conservation and
  preservation of local heritage and culture and
  improvement of product and service standards,
  especially in the food services industry

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Tourism Industry Concerns

• competitiveness, crime, research, mobilization
  of investment resources, cost and adequacy of
  international and intra-regional air
  transportation, offer of value for money,
  increase in benefits from cruise tourism, need to
  diversify tourism markets and threats to the
  long-term sustainability of the sector

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Threats to the Tourism Industry

• Environmental climate change and sea level
  rise, deforestation, bio-diversity loss,
  pollution of coastal zones and rivers, natural
  disasters (including hurricanes, flooding,
  earthquakes) to list a few
• Health occasional outbreaks of health threats
  e.g. SARS, bird flu, H1N1 flu virus
• Economic currency exchange movements, changes
  in macro-economic indicators of tourist
  generating countries
• Corporate failure of major partners/suppliers
  in the business chain e.g. airlines, tour
  operators

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Legislation, Incentives Sector Development

• New types of accommodation product rely less on
  incentives as a determining factor for project
  success
• The arrangements which facilitate access to
  incentives are more important than the actual
  incentives granted
• Incentives must be given to encourage
  entrepreneurship, innovation and the creation and
  development of indigenous products and services.

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Trade Liberalization and of Opportunities for the
Tourism Sector

• Liberalised trading arrangements offer
  possibilities for attracting investment, business
  partners and market access into Europe

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Pre-Requisites for Sector Growth and Development

• Supportive policy framework to stimulate demand
  and ensure tourism continues to generate
  employment, foreign exchange and add value to
  other areas of economic enterprise
• Increase and institutionalise training and
  certification at all levels of the industry
• Disseminate, adopt and encourage use of best
  practices
• Attract mentor and groom best and brightest for
  leadership positions in the industry
• Movement of labour within the Regional tourism
  industry, under the framework of CSME

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Pre-Requisites for Sector Growth and Development

• Destination Management - Monitor and manage
  product quality, service standards,
  product-market fit, institutional capacity,
  supporting tourism infrastructure, physical,
  social and economic environment and safety and
  security

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Challenges, Opportunities and Strategies for
Developing the Sector

• Prepare Tourism Master Plans that are capable of
  implementation
• Focus on integrated planning, including zoning,
  adoption of standards and community consultations
  as part of the planning process
• Conduct airline capacity studies to ensure plans
  for aviation are in consonance with and support
  plans for expansion in the accommodation
  sub-sector

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Product

• Promote the adoption of industry product and
  service standards.
• Take action at the national level to support work
  being done by CROSQ in the development of
  industry standards
• Further diversify niche products, services and
  tourism segments eco, adventure - including
  climbing, hiking, river rafting, diving, sports,
  yachting culinary, health, spiritual, meetings,
  incentives, convention, events

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Product

• Re-define the (Caribbean) product, its components
  and how we can protect and improve them
• Encourage and promote the Caribbean look and feel
  in architecture and other products
• Encourage and promote authenticity in heritage
  and cultural experiences

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Marketing

• Give further definition to the Caribbean brand
• Pursue strategies to market the Caribbean as a
  single destination
• Diversify into non-traditional markets India,
  China, South America, Diaspora
• Promote and facilitate greater intra-regional
  travel

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Research and Development

• Encourage and assist countries in the
  implementation and use of TSA as a tool to
  improve the measurement of tourisms contribution
  to national economic output
• Carry out more targeted research, proactive
  product development, planning and monitoring

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Research and Development

• CTO to give greater focus to market research and
  intelligence, sector and market analysis, trend
  assessments and advice regarding policy options
  in regard to emerging opportunities, threats,
  market developments, industry practices and
  models of best practice
• Collaborate with UWI in carrying out industry
  research, recording industry best practices and
  serving as a repository for study reports and
  other industry publications

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Air Transportation

• Increase dialogue and collaborate with air
  transport partners for the purpose of securing
  efficient and adequate air access into the
  Region
• Develop a regional air transport development
  strategy giving attention to airline capacity and
  appropriate route structures

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Financing

• Review and strengthen regulatory framework to
  support and encourage foreign direct investment
  in the industry
• Use pension and NIS funds in the financing of the
  industry.
• Create vehicles and instruments for greater local
  participation in tourism investment

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HR and Management

• Develop centres of excellence in hospitality
  training to improve service standards,
  opportunities for career advancement and the
  promotion of tourism and hospitality training as
  an export service
• Exploit opportunities for further development and
  promotion of Pan-Caribbean tourism brands and
  export of tourism marketing and management
  services

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HR and Management

• Facilitate regional planning and sharing of
  lessons, experiences and ideas by convening a
  suitable biennium forum for technical industry
  personnel

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Information Technology

• Promote the use of IT in marketing the Caribbean
• Encourage the adoption and use of e-commerce as a
  vehicle for facilitating business transactions in
  tourism

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Entrepreneurship

• Encourage enterprise and innovation handicraft,
  culture
• Enact and enforce appropriate legislation to
  protect the intellectual property of innovators
  of products
• Develop value-added products and initiatives e.g.
  promote the authentic Caribbean experience in all
  its elements

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• The End