 |
Gearing
up for the 21st century: the 24th Annual CTO Confab |
Acting Prime Minister of Barbados, Billie Miller, set the tone for the discussions in her feature address when she told the delegates "it is imperative that we keep abreast of the rapid global changes that are now taking place. On the eve of the 21st century, the world is living in an era characterised by evolutionary developments in information technology, trade agreements which attempt to ensure that world trade is free and the horizontal, vertical and diagonal integration of global distribution systems "
She warned the delegates that the 21st century will be wrought with changes that will significantly and dramatically impact upon the region's tourism industry. "The Caribbean is four times more dependent on tourism than any other region in the world. Currently, the Caribbean tourism industry earns some US$17 billion and employs one in every four persons in its labor force.
She told the delegates that technology, particularly information technology has become a dynamic and powerful factor in the travel trade and is radically altering the process of wealth creation in the travel and tourism industry and the internet having the most profound impact.
"Today's travelers tend to be better educated and more widely expo
sed to the travel
industry and insist on playing a more active role
in the planning of their vacation packages. As a result,more and more travelers are turning to the internet to research
available travel products and prices. It isestimated that by
2003, the value of Internet Travel will be US$16.6 billion and is
expected to rise to US$32 billion by 2004. These forecasts
highlight the critical role that the Internt plays and will
continue to play in the travel arena", she warned
She clled on the delegates to continue to work togeether with
the key industry players, the airlines, the hoteliers and tour
operators to ensure that ":we are always at the forefront in
terms of adopting cutting edge technologies in order to increase
and enhance our visibility in the market and also pursue
innovative and creative ways of offering our product to the
consumer".
CTO Secretary General Jean S. Holder echoed the remarks by Mrs. Biller, warning that "the economic survival of Caribbean countries will depend on their ability to make rapid and even radical changes in the way they structure their institutions, do business and respond to the changing realities of a gloabl society".
He noted that tourism has always been about innovation and creativity and no country has a lock on those qualities nor are they a function of size and power, and since the industry operates on the cutting edge of information technology and in several languages, it will require a range of new skills..
"As the Caribbean stands on the cross roads at the beginning of the 21st century, its decision making must be informed by a realistic assessment of the changing environment in which it will have to operate now and into the future and a willingness to act radically different from its present modus operandi", he said
Mr. Holder observed that technology "is transforming our lives in every way, is particularly aggressive in travel, transforming the way we promote ourselves and book business. Traditional mechanisms for selling and promoting tourism are under threat as never before and public sector tourism agencies are not excluded from the possibility of being rendered obsolete".
He called on delegates to recognise the challenge facing the region and the complexity of the tourism phenomenon, to have a clear vision of where they wish to go, and to provide the human and financial resources needed to activate change as well as to put in place effective leadership to drive change and turn vision into action.
Barbados's Minister of Tourism and International Transport and Chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation Noel A Lynch told the delegates that Barbados recognizes the challenges being posed on a global scale and is seeking to "refashion and reposition our tourism to meet these global challenges head on"
He disclosed that Barbados is also in the process of constructively dismantling "many of our outmoded tourism institutions, recreating and reconstructing them to fit the dynamics of this now global industry".
During the sessions, it became clear that competition between the cruise industry and the land based tourism sector, will grow even stiffer and the already volatile relationship between the two giants in travel and tourism will even get more bitter.
This was reflected during discussions involving Mr. Allen Chastinet, Air Jamaica's vice president of Marketing and Sales, and Mr. Lawrence Dessler, a travel and president of Dessler and Associates.
Mr. Chastanet pointed to what he termed "the unfair competition taking place in the industry, where the cruise ships continue making increasing profits as a result of a number of factors".
"The cruise ships by not paying social security taxes, have no trade unions and no regulatory laws, their head tax has been reduced, save on bulk orders as well as not having to pay for deliveries, do not have to put in smoke detectors in their cabins, and therefore can offer packages some $300 less than those in the travel and tourism industry", he said.
He called for a balanced approach, pointing out that there is a "lack of coordination in the aviation industry", and challenged Caribbean Travel Planners to enact an "open skies agreement within the Caribbean and among Regional airlines.
Though welcoming efforts at attracting a greater number of non stop flights from the US market and by extension greater connecteions to the Caribbean, Mr. Chastanet said more attention will have to be paid to intra Caribbean travel.
His remarks came as the West Indian Commission headed by Sir Shridath Ramphal noted that "you cannot have a free, open and all encompassing market functioning successfully without ease of travel between the islands." The Commission placed hassle free travel at the top of its recommendations to Governments in the region
He said this segment represents a huge market for vacation, and charged governments with failing to come out clearly and state what they expect from the regional carriers in terms of developing this market. He also spoke out against the lack of a cordinated strategy among the airlines and of numerous headaches in multi destnation itineraries. These things impact negatively on efforts to develop more travel business and urged Caribbean governments to look seriously at the development of a single travel document which would serve to carry bearers through multiple Caribbean destinations and dispense the age old system of filling out multiple documents and cvards and paying multiple departure taxes.
The situaiton Mr. Chastanet said, even becomes more critical when one soondiers that almost every Caribbean Island has doubleed or tripled departure taxes within the last five years and called on Caribbean planners to adopt a policy of seamless travel systems.
His remarks on the head tax came at a time when the Alaskan lawmakers are considering a US$50 per head tax on all Alaska Cruise Passengers.
Mr. Dessler differed with Mr. Chastanet in several areas and called on the Caribbean countries to seriously look to "invest in its tourism recognition and infrastructure and not "try to be all the people and end up being no one".
He called on the region to undertake an audit of its tourism assets and show tourists a good time so that they could return. "The tourists wish to be entertained. They welcome the opportunity to meet the artistes, to learn about the culture of the people and see the country", he added.
He warned that these "are not always readily available and these are what makes the Caribbean a unique place win the world."
On the question of bulk purchasing, Mr. Desslier suggested that the Caribbean Hotel Association could play a part and come forward and say they are the buyers for the hotels and this would help cut down costs of purchases.
He disclosed that some 50 new ships boasting collectively 98.000 beds are on order for the period 2001 to 2005 and another 40 are under discussions with 45,790 beds. These ships he added are in response to market demand and will be boasting incredible on board facilities, which could translate into major competition for similare onshore facilities.
Mr. Desslier told the delegates that "if you want to improve your takings from cruise tourism, you will have to invest heavily in a strong, health and vibrant local tourism product" as today's travelers want more oukt of shoping, sighseeing and general activities and are willing to pay to go where they will get that
According to industry projections, he said some 44 million people will probably take cruises within the next five years. This year, he noted, some 39 percent of all cruise traffic will be coming to the Caribbean.
Use of the internet and web sites were identified as a means of securing more response for travel to the Caribbean.,
Pesident and Chief Executive Officer of Travelocitry.com,Terrll Jones urged the use of the internet to increase sales by those by the travel and tourism industry. He explained that with 75 percent of all airline tickets now being issued electronically, passenger tickets and several other paper transasction aspects of tourism and travel as is now known, will disappear.
Travelocity.com he explained, is hit by eight million visitors every month, 60,000 of whom are new and come to browse the site's shopping system, and therefore internet travel will continue to grow.
Dominica's Minister of Tourism Charles Savarin meanwhile issued a call for dialogue between the cruize industry and the land based tourism sector. "There is enough busines for everyone" he told newsmen. He called for a policy that is not confrontational but based on mutual cooperation.
Delegates paid tribute to the Barbados Ministry of Tourism for the excellent transportation arranges as without the police outriders the congested traffic would have created havoc and made every session a late starter.