MOU inked to fortify tourism research in Caribbean

Rashaed Esson

Staff Writer

August 5, 2023 – Efforts are being made to strengthen tourism research in the Caribbean region as the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Caribbean Tourism Researchers Network (CTRN)/International Tourism Studies Association (ITSA).

Agreements have been made by both organizations to work together on research initiatives and projects, the development of knowledge products, sharing critical research and knowledge, and capacity-building initiatives. In fact, two projects have already been identified for execution under the agreement.

In further detail, one of the projects is a capacity-building program aimed at sensitizing researchers, working with regional tourism bodies on some of the latest techniques used to design and carry out tourism research projects.

The second is a research project focused on understanding and building sustainable and resilient Caribbean destination policies.

This new development helps drive research in the industry as expressed by Neil Walters, CTO’s acting Secretary General.

He said, “The collaboration between the Caribbean Tourism Organization and CTRN/ITSA provides an immediate boost to one of our core areas, research, which serves as the foundation for all other organizational activities.”

He further highlighted that “This collaboration marks a significant milestone in our ongoing efforts to strengthen and advance the tourism industry in the Caribbean region through evidence-based policy recommendations that contribute to the growth of a resilient and sustainable tourism industry, with the ultimate goal of enhancing the economic well-being of the Caribbean population.”

“We believe that the expertise and insights of these academics from across the world will contribute immensely to the alignment of the priorities of our membership and deliver on our objectives,” Walters continued.

The MOU is consistent with the vision and major goal of the International Tourism Studies Association according to Alastair Morrison, Vice President of ITSA, who later pointed out that it indicates a “willingness to use knowledge exchange in tourism to improve the capacity and resilience of this important economic sector.”

In continuation, note that the CTRN/ITSA is a network of tourism researchers under ITSA, actively engaged in research on Caribbean tourism. Its main aim is the advancement of the tourism sector in the Caribbean through research. They intend to do this “by generating and disseminating high-quality useful research,” as stated by Tenisha Brown-Williams, ITSA Regional Vice President (Caribbean) and Chair of the CTRN/ITSA.

The arrangement is for an initial three-year period but can be extended by mutual agreement.