Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett says resilience building within the Caribbean region is needed now more than ever, given the increase in disruptions such as hurricanes and earthquakes.

According to the Jamaica Observer, the minister’s comment comes on the heels of the 7.3 magnitude earthquake that struck off the north-eastern coast of Venezuela on Tuesday and affected several countries in the region.

“Earthquakes can be unpredictable and devastating and can certainly wipe out an entire industry. We in the Caribbean are particularly vulnerable because our tourism industries are dependent on a number of infrastructures such as airports, hotels so structural integrity is important.”

“Also, having the technical know-how is critical. This is what the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre at The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona campus, which will be launched January next year, is about: sensitising the industry about these critical issues, building the capacities of stakeholders in the industry and monitoring these efforts,” Bartlett was quoted in a release from his ministry.

Taiwan National Day Celebration

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