Reports

In the short-term, travel and tourism is expect ed to continue to be negatively affected by the downturn in global economies, increasing unemployment, reduced disposable incomes and reduced demand for leisure a nd business travel. However, UNWTO has made the observation that “past experience has shown that travel and tourism always rebounds from cyclical downturns - sometimes even stronger than before”. Indeed, the6.5% average annual growth rate in international arrivals over the period 1950 to 2005 is evidence of the sector’s resilience and robustness over the long-term.

This Concept Paper has been commissioned by the CARICOM Secretariat to be presented at a Regional symposium to develop the “Elements of the Strategic Vision for Services Sector Development in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM)”. As a start the paper has to understand the level of need for efficient air transport services in the CARICOM Region (Region).