Jamaica has called for the introduction of a global tourism resilience fund which can help give financial support to countries heavily-dependent on tourism as an economic driver after periods of disruption, such as the Covid pandemic.
The call was made by Jamaica’s tourism minister, Edmund Bartlett.
Last Friday – February 17 – was the first ever Global Tourism Resilience Day – something Jamaica and Mr Bartlett lobbied for – having been passed earlier this month by the UN. That date is now set as an annual day on the tourism calendar.
“While we talk about building resilience for tourism, we have to focus on the wider perspective on social, economic, political, health and security disruptions,” said Mr Bartlett.
Mr Bartlett has also raised the idea of tourists paying a voluntary resilience tip when they visit a country.
“That contribution stays in the recipient countries [to] build that fund to enable capacity for resilience,” he said. “We as an industry have the capacity to enable this fund to happen seamlessly because we are the most consumption-driven activity on planet earth.”
