Tourism Industry in the Caribbean

Tourism in the Caribbean is highly dependent on the economies of other countries. Tourism accounts for a large amount of the Caribbean's economy and workforce. The most visitors come from the United States.

Significance

United States residents accounted for 6.5 percent of Caribbean visitors in the first four months of 2010. The five, most popular destinations are San Juan, Puerto Rico, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Nassau, Bahamas and Aruba.

Economy

The Caribbean tourism industry employs about 1.9 million people, 11 percent of the region's workforce. In Jamaica, the latter figure is 25 percent. The industry accounts for 12.8 percent of the region's economic activity. The beach, luxury, family time and adventure are the most popular activities that attract tourists.

Trends

Economic weakness in the United States, Britain and Canada for example, challenge the Caribbean tourism industry. In 2009, for example, the economic recession caused a 3 percent drop in Caribbean tourism. This was a devastating blow to the region, one that hadn't been experienced since 2002.

Considerations

While the Caribbean has a healthy tourism industry, there is a wide disparity among the individual communities. For example, the larger destinations -- Dominican Republic, Cuba, Puerto Rico -- thrive, but less traveled or well-known destinations struggle to survive.

References

• Stabroek News: Defending the Caribbean Tourism Industry
• One Caribbean: Statistics
• Orbitz: Top 5 Most Popular Caribbean Destinations

Resources

• Tourism Is Key: WTTC Oxford Economics