Meagan Drillinger
Jamaica is hosting the Third Annual Global Tourism Resilience Day Conference and Expo from Feb. 17 to 19 at the Princess Grand Jamaica in Hanover. The conference, themed "Building Tourism Resilience Through Digital Transformation," will delve into technology and strategies essential for the sustainable growth of the tourism sector.
It is anticipated that more than 200 delegates from around the world will be in attendance. Panelists for roundtables are expected to include reps from the World Bank, UNWTO, American Airlines, Carnival, Chemonics (a global sustainable development firm) and the Washington-based trade group Information Technology Industry Council, among others.
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Officials say Jamaica's hosting of the event underscores the island's commitment to demonstrating tourism
resilience and innovation, especially in light of challenges like
natural disasters, global pandemics, the expansion of artificial
intelligence and the need for cybersecurity.
"This event will encourage vibrant exchanges of ideas and create new partnerships among tech providers, tourism stakeholders and financial players," said Jamaica tourism minister Edmund Bartlett.
The conference got its start in 2023, when Jamaica prime minister Andrew Holness proposed the establishment of Global Tourism Resilience Day to the United Nations. The U.N. adopted a resolution, supported by 94 countries, designating Feb. 17 as a day to highlight the importance of resilience in tourism.
The tourism industry has faced significant challenges in recent years, highlighting the critical need for resilience. From the global impact of the Covid-19 pandemic to increasing climate-related disruptions, the sector has had to adapt rapidly to survive.
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"Tourism resilience is no longer optional -- it is essential for survival. We must leverage technology, collaboration and innovation to address these challenges head on," said Bartlett, citing the recent CrowdStrike outage that disrupted airline service and other businesses worldwide.
"We had a cyber incident that impacted the aviation sector and impacted air seats to Jamaica," he said. "It's not a matter to whether or not [cybersecurity attacks] will happen. It is happening."
Key topics
Among the key points that will be addressed during the three-day event:
Day 1 of the conference is dedicated to the practical applications of digital transformation, discussing innovations like cybersecurity, immersive realities, AI, robotics and the Metaverse to build tourism resilience. The day will also mark the observation of Global Tourism Resilience Day, a United Nations Day advocated by the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre.
Day 2 will focus on the blue economy But Day 2 is dedicated to discussing the "blue economy" and how digital technologies can help transform coastal tourism spaces in a way that conserves marine and freshwater environments while also sustainably using them to promote the economy through things like sustainable fishing, marine tourism and offshore renewable energy.
Day 3, the conference's final day, will feature a showcase of Jamaica's resilient tourism infrastructure and a ministerial roundtable where the future of digital technologies in tourism will be discussed.
Running parallel to the conference, the expo will feature state-of-the-art tools for crisis management and sustainable tourism practices. Attendees can explore advancements in big data, AI and other digital solutions aimed at enhancing the resilience and efficiency of tourism operations. The exposition is designed to show how tourism is inserted in the most sophisticated areas of global and human activity. The event promises to set the stage for discussions and solutions that will shape the industry as it moves more and more into the tech space.