BERLIN, Germany, CMC – The Secretary General of the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), Dona Regis-Prosper, has called for immediate and tangible climate action, financing, and collaboration to protect tourism-dependent destinations.
During a panel discussion at the high-profile ITB Berlin, one of the world’s leading travel trade shows, Regis-Prosper stressed the urgent need for practical tools and financing to help tourism-dependent regions navigate escalating climate impacts.
“Sustainability is our currency,” Regis-Prosper said, noting the Caribbean’s unique economic dependency.
“At least eight of the 10 most [tourism]-dependent nations in the world are based in the Caribbean. And for some of our destinations, up to 80 percent of GDP (gross domestic product) is tourism-based.”
Speaking on the topic “From Promise to Progress: Steering Tourism in Challenging Times,” Regis-Prosper told the other panelists from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, the European Commission, and NECSTouR that while Caribbean destinations have already taken significant steps toward sustainability, including community-based tourism, circular economy initiatives, and strict regulations on single-use plastics, access to financing remains a critical challenge.
“There’s a saying that faith without works is dead. We certainly have faith in the Caribbean. We are willing to work – we are hardworking people – but the gap is that access to financing, and that’s how you get to work,” Regis-Prosper said, referring to the Caribbean’s active participation at the 29th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku last year.
Virginia Messina, Senior Vice President of Advocacy and Communications at WTTC, said that more than half of the world’s top travel and tourism companies have now committed to clear climate targets.
“We are seeing some progress, but we know we need to do a lot more,” Messina said, reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The chief executive officer of the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, Glen Mandziuk, called for global adoption of standardized metrics to measure sustainability.
“We want [transparent], verifiable real-time data,” Mandziuk noted, adding that industry leadership is essential.
The policy officer for Tourism with the European Union, Misa Labarille, announced her organization’s plans to launch its first dedicated tourism sustainability strategy next year. She said the commission is prioritizing tourism amid mounting global pressures and challenges.
“Going forward, what we want to do is to launch a new strategy, a new strategy for sustainable tourism,” Labarille said, noting extensive consultations planned throughout the year.
Managing Director of NECSTouR, John Fitzgibbon, underscored destination management organizations’ essential role in delivering these EU-wide strategies.
“It’s essential that the voice of the regions, who are at the sharp end, in [the] frontline of delivering these EU strategies and national policies as well … have something to say about all of this,” he said.
and then , Dona Regis-Prosper, has called for immediate and tangible climate){kind=link}