Tourism to be the Focus of the July Caribbean Economic Forum

“Reviving Caribbean Tourism” will be the theme of the second edition of the Central Bank of Barbados’ 2020 Caribbean Economic Forum, which takes place on Tuesday, July 28, 2020 at 8:00 p.m. EST (7:00 p.m. in Jamaica).

During the 90-minute discussion, veteran journalist Julian Rogers will speak with a panel of regional tourism and health experts about how to restart the Caribbean’s tourism sector in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. That panel includes the Honourable Edmund Bartlett, Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism; Patricia Affonso-Dass, President of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association; Sue Springer, Director of Corporate and Government Relations at The Caribbean Council in the UK; and Professor Clive Landis, Chair of the University of the West Indies’ COVID-19 task force. Michelle Paige, President of the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association and Geoffrey Roach, Chairman of the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association will also weigh in on the discussion.

“Tourism is responsible for not only a significant portion of our national GDPs, but also for a large percentage of employment in our islands, both for those who work directly in the sector, and those whose jobs are indirectly supported by tourist activity. In Barbados alone, tourism provides 40 percent of our economic activity,” said Cleviston Haynes, Governor of the Central Bank of Barbados. “This discussion will focus on how we reopen our borders and begin to welcome visitors back to our islands in a way that bolsters our economies while keeping our citizens safe.”

Governor Haynes invited people to tune in to the event. “We will broadcast the forum live on TV and radio stations across the region as well as livestream it on the Central Bank of Barbados’ Facebook page and YouTube channel. And as we did for our June edition, we encourage persons from across the region to tune in, pose their questions for the panellists, and also participate in the live Facebook discussion.”

He added, “We received a great deal of positive feedback about our first edition, “COVID and Economic Policy: Protecting Jobs, Businesses, and the Economy”, and this month’s discussion promises to be just as engaging.”

The Central Bank of Barbados sponsors this forum as part of its thought leadership and public education outreach.