Importance of Foreign Language
Proficiency for Caribbean Tourism
UWI St. Augustine, Faculty Outreach: Languages Matter
12 March 2015
Bonita Morgan, Caribbean Tourism Organization
Subject
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Why do Languages Matter?
We are a multi-lingual Caribbean
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Welcome to the

“Here in the Caribbean, with French,
Spanish, Dutch and English-speaking
islands, this archipelago can be sleepy
or vibrant; mountainous or flat; offer
pure white sand beaches or thick lush
rainforests. Add to this an eclectic mix
of cultures, traditions, lifestyles and
history, then throw in a calendar full of
different local festivals, and you can
turn a great holiday into an
unforgettable one.”
The Importance of Foreign Language
Training in the Caribbean

Our CARICOM
Heads of
Government
declared that foreign
language proficiency
is an essential skill
for CARICOM
citizens in the 21st
Century
WHY?
 We want to grow our
markets outside of
Caribbean economic space
 We want to have closer
cultural and social
relationships with countries
closer to us
 We recognize that for us to
compete globally we have
to be able to speak the
main languages of the
world.
If the world’s population
totaled 1,000 people….
564 Chinese
 210 European
 86 African
 80 South American
 60 North American (includes
U.S.A., Canada, Mexico)

Top 5 Most Widely Spoken
Languages in the World

1. Chinese – 1.1 billion (the macrolanguage
Chinese includes 13 individual languages with at
least 1 million speakers)




2. Spanish – 414 million
3. English – 335 million
4. Hindi – 260 million
5. Arabic – 237 million (the macrolanguage
Arabic includes 18 individual languages with at
least 1 million speakers)
Most Influential Languages
in the World
#1. English – 335 million native speakers, but almost
2 billion people communicate in English on a
regular basis re commerce, trade, aviation etc.
#2. French – Official language in 25 countries
#3. Spanish – gaining rapidly on French – native
language of almost 20 countries
#4. Arabic – the language of Islam
#5. Mandarin – close to 1 billion speakers, 3 X as
much as any other language, but not spoken beyond
Southeast Asia - because China is now a super
power globally its influence will grow
Subject
CARIBBEAN TOURISM
“Tourism is to the Caribbean
what oil is to the Middle East”
TOURISM
Our Caribbean region is the
most tourism dependent region
in the world.
+
Jobs
Where do our Visitors to the Caribbean come from?
Main Market Shares
2013
7.6%
5.5%
7.5%
6.3%
5.6%
6.4%
United States
49.1%
49.0%
19.1%
19.2%
Canada
Europe
Caribbean
2014
South America
12.3%
12.3%
Other
Tourist Arrivals to the Caribbean by Main Markets
(thousands)
Markets
2012
2013
United States
11,975.9
12.323.1
Canada
3,063.5
3,085.9
Europe
4,916.5
4,734.3
Caribbean
1,562.8
1,595.2
Other
1,756.0
1,814.9
TOTAL ARRIVALS
24,564.3
25,010.3
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1. Tourist Arrivals from Europe by Main Country of
Origin (thousands)
Country
2011
2012
France
1,576.2
1,574.6
United Kingdom
1,105.8
1,008.2
Germany
382.9
409.8
Italy
315.4
289.8
Spain
332.1
295.5
Holland
440.6
430.9
Switzerland
79.7
84.1
Sweden
36.6
38.6
Belgium
82.8
80.7
Other Europe
610.7
704.3
4,962.8
4,916.5
TOTAL
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Tourist Arrivals from Europe (thousands)
Destinations
2011
2012
Dominican Republic
1,174.9
1,141.6
Cuba
852.1
839.3
Guadeloupe
n.a.
n.a.
Martinique
404.7
404.8
Jamaica
235.0
222.4
Barbados
225.0
210.6
Cancun (Mexico)
n.a.
n.a.
Curacao
169.1
174.7
Suriname
108.2
107.7
St. Maarten
101.7
105.2
4,962.8
4,916.5
TOTAL CARIBBEAN
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Tourist Arrivals from South America
(thousands)
Country
2011
2012
OECS
9,307
9,597
Other Commonwealth
(Bahamas, Barbados , Belize,
63,365
73,234
286,716
338,420
Bermuda, Cayman Islands,
Guyana Jamaica, Trinidad &
Tobago, Turks & Caicos)
Dutch Caribbean (Aruba,
Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, St.
Eustatius, St. Maarten)
French West Indies
U.S. Territories (USVI and
n.a.
n.a.
15,012
17,230
738,634
841,553
1,131,600
1,289,600
Puerto Rico)
Other Countries (Cuba,
Dominican Republic, Haiti,
Suriname)
TOTAL
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Our New Markets
• Brazil – GOL directly servicing
Barbados 2x per week and now
Tobago
• China - a direct air link between
Cuba and China being discussed;
proposed charter service
between China and Bahamas
• India – cultural & historical links
• Russia – Jamaica has established
a direct flight via Transearo
Airlines since 2013, when they
received 10,000 Russian visitors
• Central America – region looking
to strengthen trade links with
Central America/Panama - COPA
airlines in the region (serving 12
Caribbean Countries)
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Our New Markets/New Developments
• In the region many countries have lifted visa restrictions for
persons wanting to stay for up to 90 days
• Intra-regionally we are lifting visa restrictions on each other
• Logistics Hub re the expansion of the Panama Canal – Jamaica
and other Caribbean countries looking to capitalize on trade
and business opportunities (dry dock, expansion of port to
accommodate larger ships, a cargo aerodrome, warehousing
facilities, free zones and other services)
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New Markets
We are attracting and
serving linguistically
and culturally diverse
markets…. But are we
prepared to serve
them?
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Caribbean Tourism Organization
2014 Poll with CTO member countries
re foreign language training interests
•
Spanish came up as the #1 language
• Mandarin and Brazilian Portuguese tied for 2nd
• French was 3rd
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Caribbean Tourism Organization
Visitors from Diverse Markets
• Jamaica - 10,000 Russians visited Jamaica in 2013 via a charter flight– language
training classes were being offered for tourism workers at certain resorts, also get the
most Japanese visitors in the region who are fascinated by the culture
• Spanish hotel investment on the north coast of Jamaica fuelled Spanish language
training in that island
• There is discussion of a direct flight from China to Cuba being discussed –
opportunities for the rest of the Caribbean
• Bahamas looking to get a charter in from China, linked to the Bahamar project
• GOL flying from Sao Paulo to Barbados directly twice per week and Tobago now trying
to capitalize on that link
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Caribbean Tourism Organization
Making Caribbean tourism “Chinese –ready”
by Ronald Sanders, September 2014
• In recent years Chinese tourists have been touted as the new
opportunity for growth of the industry in the Caribbean. But
how realistic is this prospect for countries in the Caribbean…?
• Until there is hug investment in marketing, airlift, the tourism
plant and language training, the prospect of an appreciable and
steady flow of Chinese tourists will remain remote. If Caribbean
countries genuinely want a share of Chinese tourism, rigorous
work has to be undertaken now to make fundamental
preparations for what is a long-term project.
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Caribbean Tourism Organization
2015 Enquiry by a CTO member country
• Please advise if there are any training modules
to assess cultural differences. We are starting to
see an upsurge in the Latin American guest to our
destination and are seeing challenges with the
way in which our residents react to them.
•If CTO doesn’t have a module, can you suggest a
trainer?
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Serving Linguistically and Culturally
Diverse Tourism Markets
• Develop cultural and linguistic competencies
• Generate new products and services that resonate
with the specific markets we are serving (market
intelligence gathering)
• Provide education on cultural, societal and business
etiquette and customs in key markets
• Recognise and manage conscious and unconscious
biases
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Caribbean Tourism Organization
Caribbean Tourism Organization
•www.onecaribbean.org/destinations
•Spanish and French speakers in our offices (have a
preference for hiring professionals speaking more than
one language)
•Translate all our press releases, board papers and
major documents in Spanish, French and English
•Provide simultaneous translation when necessary
•Country visits to non English-speaking members –
carry along a native speaker
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Caribbean Tourism Organization
How do you get persons to want to
learn a language? Hmmm…..
 Some persons are genuinely interested in learning foreign
languages and have a love and penchant for foreign languages
 More emphasis on teaching foreign languages in the
schools, from early childhood education and onwards
 Stimulate their interests through linking with the different
cultures
 Profit motive – being a global worker, much more
marketable
 Actual careers where foreign language proficiency is
important e.g. international relations/foreign service,
international development etc., translators, interpreters,
language teachers etc.
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Caribbean Tourism Organization
Thank You!
Danke!
Gracias!
Merci!
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