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How can we use innovation to transform post-pandemic tourism?

July 17, 2020 by Juan Carlos de la Hoz - Ariel McCaskie Leave a Comment


The Caribbean region is one of the most exposed to the pandemic economic shock, due to its dependence on tourism and travel.  Nevertheless, Caribbean countries have been largely successful in containing COVID-19 transmissions. After months of restricted movement between countries and within national borders, during this second half of 2020 countries are re-opening and starting to get on with the ‘new normal’ of life with COVID-19. So, what changes might we see to Caribbean tourism?

A new IDB podcast, ‘Tourism in the Caribbean: Stories from the field during COVID-19’, discusses the initiatives being put in place to support tourism organizations, governments, and related actors in the industry. Here are some of the highlights:

  1. A revamped tourism product grounded in environmental sustainability

IDB Lab, in collaboration with the United Nations World Tourism Organization, has launched the Beyond Tourism Innovation Challenge to support innovative technologies aimed at revitalizing the tourism sector in 15 countries in Central America and the Caribbean. Entries close July 31, 2020.

Innovations will be focused on two broad categories:

i) Workforce development with digital skills useful for the recovery phase, including a mix of competencies for product development, marketing and market intelligence, among others.

ii) Environmental sustainability favoring measures to conserve energy, water, and transition to circular economy approaches to reduce natural resource use and utilize climate-smart agricultural innovations and technologies.

Winning proposals may receive IDB Lab financing (non-reimbursable) from US$250,000 to US$500,000 and/or reimbursable financing from US$500,000 to US$2 million.

2. High-quality, authentic Community-Based Tourism experiences

Before the onset of the pandemic, the Compete Caribbean Partnership Facility was working with the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), to develop a toolkit for community-based tourism that appeals to the digitally-savvy, adventure-seeker by providing easier access to authentic experiences. This toolkit is intended to help the CTO strengthen these offerings, and better market them to potential visitors. Meanwhile, Compete Caribbean will be moving forward with providing technical assistance to six projects from The Bahamas, Belize, Jamaica, Dominica and St. Lucia that were shortlisted in conjunction with the CTO through a Community-Based Tourism Cluster Competition which closed in January 2020.

3. Using technology to reinforce the Caribbean as a ‘safe space’

With COVID-19 impacting many aspects of business, Compete Caribbean Partnership Facility is also seeking to expand the scope of an ongoing regional pilot to enhance the use of technology in both tourism and agro-processing. Areas of interest include more widespread adoption of biosecurity protocols and digitization of services by a range of actors in the tourism industry, as well as using technology to reinforce to potential customers the security measures that have been adopted in their Caribbean destination.

Meanwhile, IDB Lab is in the process of preparing two exciting initiatives within the context of COVID-19. The first is in partnership with the Korean Government to prototype deep-tech collaborations between start-ups developing short-term health solutions and medium- and long-term solutions for economic recovery. Meanwhile, the second initiative seeks to support the resilience of neighborhood stores – a mainstay and essential service provider for thousands of local communities across the region.

Listen to the Improving Caribbean Lives podcast for the full discussion!

For more podcasts in the series, click here.


Filed Under: Environmental and Climate Change, Innovation & Change, Podcast Tagged With: Podcasts

Juan Carlos de la Hoz

Juan Carlos de la Hoz has been the Country Representative at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Country Office in Barbados since 2016. Prior to Barbados, Juan Carlos, a citizen of Colombia, worked as Chief of Operations in IDB’s Brazil and Mexico Country Offices. Juan Carlos joined the staff of the IDB in 1999 and initially worked as Senior Social Development Specialist with a particular focus on Health. From 2005 to 2006 he served as Division Chief (a.i) of the Social Programs Division in the Regional Operations Department. Before joining the IDB, Juan Carlos worked as Vice-president - Health Insurance, Corporate Planning Director and National Contracting Manager at the National Social Security Institute in Colombia. He is a Medical Doctor and received a M.Sc. in Health Economics from the University of York in the U.K.

Ariel McCaskie

Ariel K. McCaskie, born in Barbados, earned a MSc in Finance, Investment and Risk from the University of Kent, United Kingdom; and a BSc in Economics and Accounting from the University of the West Indies. She is an Economics Consultant in the Barbados Office at the Inter-American Development Bank.

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Caribbean Dev Trends

We provide unique and timely insights on the Caribbean and its political, social, and economic development. At the IDB, we strive to improve lives in the Caribbean by creating vibrant and resilient economies where people are safe, productive and happy.

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