[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he future of the Caribbean economy is set to see new and profound challenges. Within tourism and its ancillary businesses especially‚ the changing nature of the way in which we live and work will place new pressure on the local industry.
This will happen because the way in which our cities and nations exist in the world is set for huge change. There are general trends which show our whole world will see more and more people moving to urban areas‚ with up to 66 per cent of human beings projected to live in an urban area by 2050.
Identifying the future of cities is a global concern, but one with unique characteristics to each region.
It’s clear the time ahead will see major changes in how we live and work. Beyond mere infrastructure, these changes are a story of people and cultures‚ and the Caribbean will need to compete with other growing tourism regions around the world.
Just as there are great and exciting opportunities ahead, inaction — as opposed to planning and goal setting — could be a critical mistake. This doesn’t apply only to the tourism industry but it does loom large in this region given tourism’s centrality to our local economy‚ and the world becoming more economically borderless as a whole.
HOW ARE OUR CITIES AND COUNTRIES CHANGING?
At the outset it’s important to identify that cities are, by nature, fluid. This is something very easy to overlook as, while government leaders and tycoons of industry may come and go, the once-new skyscrapers that gradually age among the clouds give to cities a perpetual and unchanging appearance. In generations gone by, structures told us a lot about a city.
Those skyscrapers would tell a story of profitable banks. A grand city on a harbour would tell all from afar that it was a shipping capital. And airports, train stations and freeways showed a city interconnected and ready to engage with the world around it. That was then. Today, and in future, the real story of a citiy will be its people, and there are push/pull factors involved in this.
Certain buildings and services will surely always be a part of our cities and countries. Sports stadiums will still see games played. Cafes and restaurants will still entice people to eat and drink. Those same cafes and restaurants will require construction workers, electricians, and plumbers to maintain their operations. Public institutions, like parliaments and courts, that rely on a public discharge of duties won’t shift rapidly but, beyond these and similar fields, essentially all others are up for reform in the digital age.
THE FUTURE WILL NOT BE ‘BUSINESS AS USUAL’
The old ways of urban planning will not suffice for a new era. Many of us today see the majority of our work done each day at a computer. This gives rise to the capacity for more remote work. This change has already been seen in the way in which we entertain ourselves and, in many areas, the beginning of this trend has been borne out.
Video stores that once did a roaring trade on Friday and Saturday nights have today been supplanted by the likes of Netflix, and commonly seen old and sizeable stores transformed into gyms. More widely, while public libraries still exist, the rise of the internet and popularity of eBooks has seen many lenders now lend digital goods via license, and shift emphasis on the use of a library beyond that of a mere lending location‚ to a true community centre and public space.
In tandem with this, growing recognition of work-from-home productivity, the lifestyle benefits of remote work, and even rising property prices around the world that see younger professionals buy further from the urban centres, all factor into diminishing the old justification for a 9-5 commute to the office in this new era.
Projections often vary, and the rise of AI and automation complicates them further, but it’s commonly estimated that at least 50% of the workforce will shift away from traditional office roles to remote jobs by 2030.
Whatever the exact figure, simply put, our cities as we know them soon won’t require the working population they once did to get business done.
These changes are universal but will have some particular implications for the Caribbean. At its core‚ infrastructure and amenities alone will not have the same pulling power they once did.
Huge all-inclusive five star luxury resorts may be a unique signature of Caribbean tourism now but there are similar establishments in Asia‚ and the boom of personal wealth and tourism in the Asian region will see its local tourism industry grow rapidly.
So, too, will there be renewed challenges in luring the lucrative North American market to our region.
American and Canadian office towers will not empty overnight but, if the future of work allows young professionals to work remotely, the desire to ‘get away from it all’ once a year with a trip to the Caribbean will diminish‚ given that a remote worker will have the potential to work location-independent throughout the year.
WHAT WILL STAND THE TEST OF TIME?
Cities and nations, as unique business hubs, are set to change; cities and nations as desirable destinations will not. Fortunately our region is one abundant with immense advantages in the latter aspect.
Ultimately, while cities around the world may increasingly function in a similar way due to the universality of the digital global economy, no nation in Europe can offer a tourist the beauty of Marigot Bay at sunset; or replicate the wonder of hiking St Vincent ‘s beautiful Grand Bonhomme mountain.
And yes, for any sporting fan, no journey in the world delivers a smile quite like one to Sherwood Content, Jamaica — the village where Usain Bolt was born and where his first steps were taken in his sprint to be the world’s fastest man.
The issue of climate change is, of course, also a factor in this area. For the overall sustainability of tourism depends on addressing it in the long term. But this can also be made into an asset, and a way to raise greater awareness of the need for action in the short term.
If the Caribbean can continue to drive action and promote sustainable initiatives, this, too, can draw new tourism and business to the region.
A renewed emphasis upon what only we can offer locally also need not be confined exclusively to sustainability projects. The (GINet) Project that is set to see Saint Lucia’s Wi-FI access soar, promises to attract renewed interest in visiting and investing in the island. Initiatives like this are digital, global and truly local in their tourist appeal. That scores points across the board.
In this new era when the world becomes more digital and global, the future of Caribbean tourism will see a new emphasis placed upon the unique and authentic. The challenges are real, and the changes will be big, but when it comes to a unique region with a rich abundance of authentic people, cultures, and attractions? This is a field in which local tourism providers have already done wonderful work, and it has a future in which they can thrive.
