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Caribbean can depend on tourism for survival should be locked up and they should throw away the keys.

Allyuh watch unemployment across the region now.

In reply to Chrissy

At the same time watch the countries that were not affected that much experience a boon period.

In reply to Chrissy

Diversification, it's no different than investing in stocks.

You put all your eggs in one basket and you stand to lose it all.

In reply to Chrissy

Trade Unions and Socialists killed the other industries Prof.

That is my humble, deplorable opinion.

In reply to Chrissy

What industries are better able to withstand a 'cat5 ' hurricane?

In reply to Chrissy
a year ago allyuh bragging and boasting about you clear water and pristine beaches ... gimme the Essequibo black water and mudflat for shoreline anyday ... forget the choke and rob and kick down door and shooting that is man made but hurricanes? try controlling that

In reply to nitro

I'm surprised yuh didn't say emancipation.

KYS yuh hignorant hass!

In reply to Chrissy

I agree with your assessment , in SVG
Arrowroot is once again being grown ; so also is Coffee & Cocoa ; there is
now a Chocolate Factory in SVG .

Ground Provision is also being grown to sold to neighbouring Islands . The Banana Industry , has strictures , but can be revived . This Industry suffered from the fact that one of
Bill Clinton's Financial Supporters
got Clinton to complain to the WTO regarding the preferential treatment
the Region was getting from England .

The fact is that Bananas are not grown Commercially in the USA , but Clinton's financial Supporter had Estates in eith Central or South America .

In reply to Chrissy

All the clowns elected in the Caribbean believe that tourism is the
way to build the economy.
Then their brainless supporters elect them.

Ask limestone girth sudden about lil England.

I am for diversification it is prudent risk management,but can you guys name some industries that would be better able to withstand disasters ?

Given environmental impositions and size of those small island economies I don't see any other more viable or lucrative industry that their infrastructure can sustain.

For the same reasons there seems to be a decrease in direct foreign investments in recent years.

Lots of reading material on the issue HERE

In reply to Chrissy

Question Chrissy:

What should they depend on?

In reply to Kay

In other words everyone can tell ya de problem but no one got de solution

In reply to Chrissy

The problem with the politicians and policymakers is that they think like you...they do not base their actions on facts but on philosophy and "gut feelings".

Because if you look at the FACTS (figures), you would realize that since 1980, tourism has proved to be the most resilient and has recovered the fastest from the effects of hurricanes. Not agriculture--and definitely not manufacturing (the latter in some cases, never recovered).

But stick to your philosophy...don't be confused by facts.

In reply to JOJO

Indeed.

Folk lets think

What does the Caribbean have in abundance and free?

Sunshine with rainfall.

We have land.

Humans need food

Focus on Agriculture, grow stuff and sell.

T&T imports over 5 Billion dollars in Food.

There is numerous job in Agriculture but it is not a glamorous field to be in.

Use tourism as the gravy and not giving foreigners tax dollars as incentives.

In reply to sgtdjones

Sarge as a thinking man who obviously knows about agriculture I would like to ask a question. If you're going into the orange juice business would you accept any type of orange or would you specialize in juicy oranges?

In reply to Headley

Get the plants from Brazil they can withstand diseases, drought etc
and can take up to 60 mph winds.

Brazil experimented with various species and export Orange Juice world wide.

Florida Orange fields are on its last legs.

These powerful storms will take out any crop planted...

In reply to camos


Ganja!







No... seriously!!! Ganja!


//

In reply to sgtdjones

Sarge as a thinking man who obviously knows about tourism I would like to ask a question. If you're going into the tourism business would you attract any type of tourist or would you specialize in wealthy tourists?

In reply to Headley

I would first look at the pro and cons of the property.ie beach front, close to
airport, not far from the capital of island etc

Then, I would look at the island and its proximity to its main source of tourists
that presently visit.

See how the island is marketed by its Tourist Board.
What attracts visitors to this island.

Get info from the island Tourist Board on the percentage of foreign tourist
visited over the last 5 years and where they came from.

Do they visit by ships that call on the port, or stay at least a week to enjoy the
ambience and attractions.

Do they visit for sports ie Cricket.

Now ah gats some info

Make a marketing plan with your information.

Remember this plan must be flexible and not written in stone.

A 5 year plan is a must with financial capital to do it.

Get your banker on board with you .

You can now target your tourist ie where they come from,their financial
position, average spending per week, etc etc

Within 3 to 5 years most small business will go broke based on poor
business plan and marketing.

Last but not the least

I'm all for not depending strictly on tourism, but the harsh reality is, even fishing and agriculture would have taken a serious hit as well from Irma. Imagine fishing and no boats. Imagine trying to export Agriculture when it out rooted and no where to be found.

It's part the reason why people moving away from growing Banana. Cocoa is now being favoured as lil wind can't destroy them like it will do a banana tree.

And last but not least, being originally from the lil dot of Bequia, I can safely tell you, without Tourism, it wouldn't be where it is. Soil is too hard for agriculture, plus the Tourism automatically means more money for the fisher folks. Them tourists does demand sea food in abundance. When lobster season reach in, fishermen does rejoice. Tourists don't hesitate for it.

In reply to sgtdjones

All of that is good but what about sustainability?

What happens after hurricane Irma?

Once the rebuilding is done, St Martin and St Barts "will be the two Caribbean islands with the best infrastructure"

In reply to jen

Thanks. You should have posted earlier!

In reply to Ewart

Correct is right

In reply to Headley

That's where your business plan comes in. You would see the peaks and lows.

This is where Caribbean business people get eaten alive by foreigners.
They are clueless I have a friend in T&T, his father was trying to buy burglar
proof frames for his windows in his home. No body made them.

So he started in that field, then saw an opportunity to make mufflers for cars.

Then to help with his cash flow got a chicken farm, rearing Chickens.

Today his son run a large Corporation in T&T all family owned.

They immigrated to T&T in 1965. Diversify.




You will have better infrastructure and if you are in business Insurance
that will cover your losses monthly. You can then rebuild.

In reply to jen


If one is in business you have to save for that once in a lifetime hurricane ie get insurance. In the Caribbean we spend in good times and be broke in bad .Typical of Government Mentality.

If you are in Agriculture and have no market, you are in the wrong business.
You didn't have a business plan.



So you didn't have a disaster plan?Did you get Insurance?

If your boat is destroyed you can buy a new one with insurance money.
Caribbean people doh tink dat way.




When Britain stopped buying bananas it destroyed the industry. We don't have thinkers
who saw it coming and sought other markets.

It took Costa Rica twenty-five years to have the banana market in North America.
It called Del Monte in gave them land, the rest is history.

Costa Rica took away the pineapple business from Hawaii. The same way.
Forex money coming in.

In reply to sgtdjones

You apparently never hear of them caribbean insurance places. It have man who lose they love ones all seven years ago and still can't collect insurance money.

In reply to jen

So true. Not a beacon of hope.

In reply to sgtdjones

I am impressed by your friend and his successful diversification.

Sarge yuh just attended one of dem first world insurance theory courses?

In reply to jen

Corruption and bobol ranks number one in the Caribbean.

Before buying an insurance premium check out the company

See its affiliation.

You wouldn't have such problems unless
dem gats limestone girth as there lawyer.

In reply to Headley

I know very little about insurance but I do due diligence.

Then send it to a lawyer to make sure I have the coverage I seek.

My family has been in business for over a 100 years in T&T

Never had a problem collecting from the Insurance company.

My key point is to develop a business plan.