 |
Some
Facts |
* In 1999, South Asia recorded travel and tourism industry growth of 9.1%, Latin America 6.1%, North Africa 6% with the Caribbean lagging behind at 5.5%. * Travel and tourism accounted for 11.7% of world GDP in 1999.
* In 1999, 71% of Caribbean GDP was derived from services, compared to 22% for industry and 8% for agriculture.
* During 1999, travel and tourism accounted for 43% of regional GDP. The industry's contribution to national economies ranged from a high of 69% in St. Lucia to a low of 13% for Trinidad and Tobago.
* On average, Caribbean travel and tourism related GDP grew by 3.6% in 1999, with Jamaica reaching a regional high of 6.9%. The only Caribbean destination that experienced negative growth rates was the Dominican Republic, where the travel and tourism industry contracted by 0.3%.
* Investment-wise - tourism attracted 41% of all capital invested in the Caribbean in 1999. The smaller the island, the larger the share of investment that goes to the tourism, industry. 77% of all capital investment in Barbados in 1999 was directed at tourism, compared to only 18.2% in Trinidad and Tobago.
* In terms of employment - tourism provides between 20-60% of jobs in the Caribbean - with Antigua and Barbuda 48%, Barbados 40%, Bahamas 56%, St Lucia 51%. Even in the Dominican Republic, where dependence on tourism employment is the lowest in the Caribbean at 20%, in 1999, travel and tourism still employed well over 1 million people. The WTTC estimates that 3.6 million people are employed by the Caribbean travel and tourism industry.
* Travel and tourism accounted for 35% of all jobs in the wider Caribbean.