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UNESCO study identifies cultural resources in the Caribbean to boost sustainable tourism
Yesterday, the UNESCO programme Transcultura: Integrating Cuba, the Caribbean and the European Union through Culture and Creativity, funded by the European Union, launched the study Linking Caribbean Cultural Resources and Creative Assets for Tourism Development Opportunities, in the Museum of Rum of Havana. The study identifies 34 key cultural resources in the 17 Caribbean countries covered by the programme and provides recommendations for linking them to the Caribbean tourism industry.
Cultural assets are more valuable now than ever, as they allow the development of a comparative advantage in an increasingly competitive tourism market and create unique local destinations in the midst of globalisation.
Among the resources identified in the study are the crafts and folk art of the village of Noailles in Croix de Bouquets in Haiti; the Maya archaeological site of Caracol, once the largest Maya centre, in Belize; the music festivals in Santo Domingo; the Shirley Heights lookout nature trail overlooking the harbours of English and Falmouth in Antigua and Barbuda; the colourful masked ball in Montserrat, with rituals dating back to the mid-nineteenth century; or the Culturama Nevis Festival in Saint Kitts and Nevis that celebrates local music and traditions.
The study acknowledges the potential of these and other cultural resources to boost sustainable tourism in the Caribbean and contribute to the economic growth of countries whose economies are highly dependent on the development of this sector. Integrating culture into the tourism offer, the report argues, not only promotes the long-term preservation of Caribbean heritage but also creates an attractive and sustainable destination for future generations.
The launch of the study was attended by over a hundred representatives from the Cuban tourism sector, including authorities and private companies, as well as young entrepreneurs from the Cultural and Creative sectors and members of the diplomatic community in Cuba. The event featured a panel discussion in which young people linked to the Cuban cultural resources identified in the report shared their experiences on the benefits and challenges of integrating the Cultural and Creative Industries into tourism activities. Adrián Miguel Carmona, a textile artisan from Trinidad, explained how supporting local artists and artisans not only strengthens cultural identity but also boosts the local and regional economy in a sustainable way.
In Trinidad, handicrafts are the livelihood of entire families and have an impact on the creation of new enterprises. However, for these enterprises to be sustainable, it is essential to invest in training and in new promotional initiatives that integrate local culture with tourism.
Also taking part in the panel was Tanai Prieto Roza, a young man who carries the "knowledge of light rum masters", another of the resources identified in the study and which was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2022. Mr Prieto referred to the fundamental role played by institutions in promoting these cultural resources as part of the Caribbean's tourism offer. In this regard, the UNESCO study includes among its recommendations the need to establish concrete synergies between tourism and cultural authorities so that the Cultural and Creative Industries can adequately benefit from the region's thriving tourism industry.
