Omicron is becoming a new challenge to Caribbean tourism sector

The Caribbean region, one of the most tourism-dependent regions globally, was predicted to be the world's one of the regions most hit by the global pandemic.

Omicron is becoming a new challenge to Caribbean tourism sector

The Caribbean region, one of the most tourism-dependent regions globally, was predicted to be the world’s one of the regions most hit by the global pandemic.

The World Travel and Tourism Council had predicted that Covid’s economic impact on the island would reduce gross domestic product (GDP) by $42 billion and employment loss by 1.9 million in 2020.

The numbers from the first year of the pandemic were not too far, but the region also recovered faster than other regions in 2021.

The Caribbean travel and tourism sector’s contribution to GDP is expected to increase by 47% this year. In comparison, the global economy will expect to see a 37% increase in contribution from travel from tourism and travel.

Advanced booking of air tickets and hotel stays for 2022 shows a 70% greater chance of rebounding from 2019 levels.

Meanwhile, the Caribbean Tourism Hotel Association president, Nicola Madden Greig, said, “we are recovering and doing it well.”

President Greig further added, “The region is among the safest to visit with a Covid positivity rate averaging well under the World Health Organization’s recommended five per cent limit.”

However, this forecast continues with the emergence of the Omicron variant in late November, with the outlook for the impact of new global travel bans that may occur daily in source markets such as Canada and Europe as infections are rising at a fast pace.

According to the data, ticketing to the Caribbean experienced a drop for a few top destinations due to the Omicron.

Governments in major source markets such as Canada and some parts of Europe strongly advise against overseas travel in the face of rapidly spreading variants. The Caribbean’s tourism rebounds in 2022 hang in the balance.