Destination Organization Responses to COVID-19: CTO Member Countries

Abstract:

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted tourism more than any other industry. While people everywhere have been instructed to stay home, lock down and even quarantine to stem the spread of the virus, the people and places most dependent on visitors have watched their primary source of income dry up. This is particularly true in the Caribbean — the most tourism-dependent region in the world. National destination management and marketing organizations — including ministries of tourism and tourism boards and authorities — play an important role in facilitating the coordination and cooperation needed across the tourism value chain. The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) partnered with the George Washington University International Institute of Tourism Studies (GW IITS) to conduct rapid research on the effects of COVID-19 on national destination management and marketing organizations in CTO member countries, and their early responses to the global pandemic. This report presents the main findings of the survey and inventory of tourism destination responses to COVID-19.