The two-day regional virtual workshop analysed the importance of tourism data for supporting the sector in the present and helping tourism to restart in the Caribbean in a timely and sustainable manner, the UNWTO said in a release.

The workshop brought together around 130 participants from 23 states, including the leaders of National Tourism Administrations, National Statistical Offices, Central Banks and Migration authorities.

The Caribbean tourism community not only got a better understanding of the fundamentals of tourism statistics but also received an overview of UNWTO’s Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) data, as well as guidance on how this can be used to guide decision-making.

Said Neil Walters, Acting Secretary General of the Caribbean Tourism Organization, “We recognize the importance of data and statistics in the development of COVID-19 recovery programs and comprehensive sustainable tourism strategies. We thank the UNWTO for supporting our efforts at capacity building in tourism statistics analysis and reporting in the Caribbean.”

The workshop also emphasized the relevance of tourism statistics, both for informing the sector’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic but also, looking ahead, for its role in guiding sustainable development across the Caribbean region.

As with every other global region, the crisis has hit the Caribbean hard.

According to the latest UNWTO data, Caribbean destinations experienced a 67 per cent fall in international tourist arrivals in 2020 compared to the previous year.

Given the reliance of many destinations on the sector, this has placed large numbers of livelihoods and businesses at risk and makes the timely restart of tourism vital, the UNWTO said in the release.

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