Last Friday (27) was World Tourism Day. Strange it wasn’t celebrated much here in the Cayman Islands.

We receive many glowing figures of the big increases in tourists arrivals here I would have thought last Friday would have been full of parties, government speeches, travel prizes, all our hotels decked out in welcoming signs, etc. etc.

I expect the reason for all this not happening is the tourism industry were too busy looking after our tourists.

The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) – did you even know there was such a body, celebrated the day by focusing on tourism and jobs.

Because of tourism’s labor-intensive nature, tourism is becoming a major source of employment for many people around the world. In addition, tourism jobs have a multiplier effect, and the UNWTO has found that one job in the core tourism sector creates about one-and-a-half additional or indirect jobs in the tourism-related economy.

Acting secretary general of the Barbados-based Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO), Neil Walters, said tourism is the region’s primary money earner, with the Caribbean welcoming an estimated 30.2 million international tourists and 29.3 million cruise visits last year, generating approximately US$39.3 billion in revenue for regional economies.

He said the sector provides a myriad of opportunities to enrich the lives of residents; drives meaningful employment, investment and entrepreneurial initiatives; contributes to sustainable alternative livelihoods; and supports community development, which has importantly begun to include development in rural and traditionally marginalised communities.

In his message he warned of climate change and its serious impact on the tourism sector. He said there was an “urgent need for adaptation to the impacts of natural disasters propelled by climate variability and climate change (CVC).

“It should also highlight the support needed by the tourism sector, and most particularly national governments, to enhance climate resilience. Scientists have predicted among other CVC impacts, an increase in the frequency and severity of natural disasters.”

“It is important to ensure climate adaptation and resilience of the sector, for the Caribbean to secure and maintain tourism’s role and capability as an engine for social and economic growth, the generator of jobs and the foundation of a future for all.

“We have to do our own critical analysis, and in some cases, rebuild this important industry by ensuring the optimal use of social, natural, cultural, and financial resources on an equitable and self-sustaining basis. The setbacks caused by these natural disasters present a very powerful opportunity for us to ‘build back better’, to borrow the slogan made popular by one of our members after the hurricanes in 2017.”

We don’t even bother here with climate change. It’s out of our hands. We are so small nothing we do to help the environment will make a ha’pence of difference. That is the feeling of our top people in government.

If everyone had the same outlook……

But US president said there is nothing to worry about. There is no such thing as climate change. And what on Earth do our kids who are shouting screaming and worried about it know? They should listen to their elders.

However, their elders, like Trump, won’t be around when the full force of climate change hit our planet. That’s why they don’t care. The same attitude reflected here.

Let’s build our cruise berthing facility even if in years to come the rising sea waves will do the waving goodbye to it all.

We will celebrate Would Tourism Day next year… Maybe…