Tourism Resilience and Recovery for Global Sustainability and Development: Navigating COVID-19 and the Future

The COVID-19 pandemic has been an unprecedented economic shock to Caribbean countries most of which depend heavily on Tourism and its linkages to a wide range of sectors. The World Tourism Organization reported 2020 as the worst year on record. Destinations worldwide welcomed 1 billion fewer international arrivals in 2020. In this collection the contributors seize the opportunity to rethink, discuss, and address the issues and challenges to Caribbean Tourism both before and since the pandemic, not least of which is climate change. The increasing frequency and intensity of natural disasters in recent years, coupled with the devastating effects of the pandemic and the containment measures adopted by governments, has made crystal clear the importance of addressing the sustainability of Caribbean Tourism. Recommendations are made for critical remedial actions to accelerate post-COVID-19 tourism recovery and foster enhanced resilience, including the identification of new and under-exploited tourism niches. Responsive to the current and future needs of the industry, this collection suggests remedial policy measures to tackle both the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as historical socio-cultural issues, which have hampered the pre-pandemic tourism industry.

Lloyd G. Waller is a professor of Digital Transformation Policy and Governance. He has a Masters in Sociology of Development from The University of the West Indies with a focus on electronic commerce (e-commerce) and a PhD in Social Policy from the University of Waikato, New Zealand with a focus on electronic tourism (e-tourism). Currently at The University of the West Indies, Mona, Professor Waller's areas of research include Digital Transformation Policies and Practice, Electronic Governance, Governance, Tourism Resilience, Advanced Research Methods and Development Studies.

Edmund Bartlett is an innovator and a visionary, attributes that have underscored his many years of successful service to the tourism industry. Under his leadership, global tourism has been positioned as a catalyst for sustainable and inclusive growth, through job and wealth creation, public-private partnerships (PPPs), and community transformation. He is a tireless advocate for global tourism resilience and the founder and co-chair of the Global Tourism Resilience & Crisis Management Centre at the University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica. As one of the world's leading tourism ministers, Mr Bartlett has represented Jamaica regionally and internationally, and has copped numerous awards for his outstanding contribution to the industry.