1998 Annual Report
TRAVEL AND HEALTHY HOTELS
CARIBBEAN HEALTHY HOTELS PROJECT (CHHP)
MISSION
To help make the Caribbean the safest, happiest and healthiest of comparable
destinations in the world.
Background
Over the past few years, an understanding of the mutual determinants and interests of
the tourism and health sectors has evolved. Although the tourism sector emphasises the
benefits derived from employment and foreign-exchange earnings, and is concerned first and
foremost with protecting the tourist, this cannot be accomplished without expanding
surveillance, research and the prevention and control of emerging and re-emerging
infectious diseases. Recent reports of ill-health among visitors to the region have
undermined the value of the tourism product, resulting in negative publicity, loss of
revenue, and litigious actions by affected visitors and tour operators. Today, no
Caribbean-wide standards exist for health and hygiene and the Ministries of Health have
not been able to keep pace with the dramatic increase in visitors to the region.
Main activities
The Caribbean Healthy Hotels Project was formally established in March 1998 with the
hiring of a Programme Coordinator, Environmental Health Officer/Trainer, and an
Administrative Assistant. Advocacy on health in sustainable tourism was actively pursued
with attendance at several Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA) Conferences and workshops,
membership in the CHA Environmental Committee and the Small Hotels Committee,
participation in Board meetings and presentations at the Annual General Meeting.
PAHO/CPC/CAREC and the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) met to discuss areas of mutual
collaboration for the organisations. Several areas were identified, for example, linkage
of web sites and information sharing. Additionally, it was agreed that CTO should formally
recognise that the health and safety experience of a tourist is an important part of the
quality of stay and an important contributor to sustainable tourism. A great concern to
both the Caribbean Program Coordination and CAREC was that results from the CHHP audits
and news of outbreaks should not be used for negative advertising by a hotel or
destination against another. It was suggested that the CTO adopt a resolution aimed at
minimising this.
Even though initial funding for the start-up of the project was provided by PAHO, one
of the principal objectives of the CHHP was to source funding for the further development
of the project. Negotiations with the Inter-American Development Bank’s (IADB),
Multi-lateral Investment Fund (MIF) began in April 1998. PAHO/CAREC CHA/Caribbean Action
for Sustainable Tourism (CAST) agreed to jointly develop the
Caribbean Healthy Hotels project and to collaborate in the negotiations with the IADB,
since the MIF funding was specifically targeted to the private sector. The IADB/MIF grant
negotiation process involved an in-depth project analysis which included a fact-finding
mission to four bank-member countries by a team comprising representatives from CAREC/CAST
and IADB. This mission took place in August 1998 and led to the design of a comprehensive
project document. These negotiations were successfully completed in October 1998 with the
approval of grant funding for a three-year project.
The CHHP will evolve into the Caribbean Tourism Health, Safety and Resource
Conservation Project. This evolution would be borne out of the collaboration between
PAHO/CAREC and CHA/CAST which initially focused on the increasingly high incidence of
illness in hotels, due to inadequate food safety practices and water management systems.
The Caribbean Tourism Health, Safety and Resource Conservation project will, however, not
only address adverse health effects confronting the industry but will also address
environmental and energy conservation standards and systems, for hotels and food service
establishments.
Under the project a total of US$2.2 million will be provided, with IADB/MIF
contributing US$1.33million (cash) and CAREC/CAST counterpart contributions (in-kind and
cash ) valued at US$800,000. The Bahamas, Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago and
the countries of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) will participate in
this project. A proposal has been submitted to the Caribbean Development Bank for funding
of the OECS participation in this project.
The Project seeks to improve the quality and competitiveness of the Tourism Industry in
the Caribbean through the establishment and dissemination of quality standards and systems
designed to ensure healthy, safe and environmentally conscious products and services. It
will consist of two components: (a) development of health, safety and resource
conservation standards-based systems and registrations; (b) implementation of marketing,
promotion and sustainability strategies.
Among the key activities to be undertaken over the next three years are the
following:
 | Continuous assessment of the health, safety and resource conservation needs of the
tourism industry and implementation of an ill-health monitoring system |
| Establishment and validation of Caribbean-wide Health, Safety and Resource Conservation
Standards. |
| Training of a core of industry managers and workers |
| Development and implementation of strategic marketing efforts in order to build an
internationally credible brand identity. |
| Development of a Strategic Plan for long-term sustainability. |
It is the project’s intention to use a process for standards development that is
collaborative and inclusive of all stakeholders.
Administration
A Steering Committee comprising key representatives from the private and public sectors
and nominated jointly by CAST and CAREC has been established. Their role is to sanction
the work of the project and to provide third-party verification for the establishment of
standards, certification and the registration process.
Health and tourism related activities
Significant health and travel events for 1998 that impacted on the tourism industry
included:
| Continued reports of dengue and dengue hemorrhagic fever in Barbados and Trinidad and
Tobago |
| An outbreak of Gastrointestinal illness among four hundred guests and staff at a Bermuda
hotel related to drinking water contaminated with sewage. That hotel is now subject to a
US$75 million dollar lawsuit and has since been closed for eighteen months to undergo
major restructuring. |
| An outbreak of Gastrointestinal illness in the Bahamas in August involving 100 guests at
a hotel on Eleuthera. It was suspected that the outbreak was due to food and water
contamination caused by poor environmental health practices. The hotel was temporarily
closed. |
| An outbreak of Salmonella enteriditis food poisoning was reported at a hotel in
Barbados in August 1998. |
| There has been an observed re-introduction after 20 years of Dengue Type III in Puerto
Rico and other CAREC member countries. It has taken off slowly but is predicted to explode
over the next few years. |
| There were two reported cases of Legionella disease. These were travelers returning to
the United Kingdom from holiday in Antigua during the month of October 1998. |
These events serve to highlight the need for focused attention to health, environmental
management and safety conditions in the region.
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