Last Friday (27) was World Tourism Day.
Strange it wasn't celebrated much here in the Cayman Islands.

We receive many glowing figures of the
big increases in tourists arrivals here I would have thought last
Friday would have been full of parties, government speeches, travel
prizes, all our hotels decked out in welcoming signs, etc. etc.

I expect the reason for all this not
happening is the tourism industry were too busy looking after our
tourists.

The United Nations World Tourism
Organization (UNWTO) – did you even know there was such a body,
celebrated the day by focusing on tourism and jobs.

Because of tourism’s labor-intensive
nature, tourism is becoming a major source of employment for many
people around the world. In addition, tourism jobs have a multiplier
effect, and the UNWTO has found that one job in the core tourism
sector creates about one-and-a-half additional or indirect jobs in
the tourism-related economy.

Acting secretary general of the
Barbados-based Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO), Neil Walters,
said tourism is the region's primary money earner, with the Caribbean
welcoming an estimated 30.2 million international tourists and 29.3
million cruise visits last year, generating approximately US$39.3
billion in revenue for regional economies.

He said the sector provides a myriad of
opportunities to enrich the lives of residents; drives meaningful
employment, investment and entrepreneurial initiatives; contributes
to sustainable alternative livelihoods; and supports community
development, which has importantly begun to include development in
rural and traditionally marginalised communities.

In his message he warned of climate
change and its serious impact on the tourism sector. He said there
was an “urgent need for adaptation to the impacts of natural
disasters propelled by climate variability and climate change (CVC).

“It should also highlight the support
needed by the tourism sector, and most particularly national
governments, to enhance climate resilience. Scientists have predicted
among other CVC impacts, an increase in the frequency and severity of
natural disasters.”

“It is important to ensure climate
adaptation and resilience of the sector, for the Caribbean to secure
and maintain tourism's role and capability as an engine for social
and economic growth, the generator of jobs and the foundation of a
future for all.

“We have to do our own critical
analysis, and in some cases, rebuild this important industry by
ensuring the optimal use of social, natural, cultural, and financial
resources on an equitable and self-sustaining basis. The setbacks
caused by these natural disasters present a very powerful opportunity
for us to 'build back better', to borrow the slogan made popular by
one of our members after the hurricanes in 2017.”

We don't even bother here with climate
change. It's out of our hands. We are so small nothing we do to help
the environment will make a ha'pence of difference. That is the
feeling of our top people in government.

If everyone had the same outlook......

But US president said there is nothing
to worry about. There is no such thing as climate change. And what on
Earth do our kids who are shouting screaming and worried about it
know? They should listen to their elders.

However, their elders, like Trump,
won't be around when the full force of climate change hit our planet.
That's why they don't care. The same attitude reflected here.

Let's build our cruise berthing
facility even if in years to come the rising
sea waves will do the waving goodbye to it all.

We will celebrate Would Tourism Day
next year... Maybe...