Strategies for Post COVID-19 Recovery in the Caribbean

Tourism in Central America and the Dominican Republic in the face of digital technologies: Challenges and opportunities for MSMEs

Tourism micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) recognize the importance of digital tools to attract tourists, showcase the company and sell products and services. However, they make basic use of these tools to communicate and promote the company, missing opportunities to improve their competitiveness, productivity and sustainability. This study analyses the state of the digital transformation of tourism MSMEs in the member States of the Central American Integration System (SICA), both their internal capacities and external conditions that affect their ability to innovate. The study …

ECLAC Examines the Digital Transformation Process of Tourism-related MSMEs in SICA Countries

The Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) dedicated to tourism in the member countries of the Central American Integration System (SICA) recognize the importance of digital tools for attracting tourists, attaining visibility and selling, and they show great willingness to engage with them. However, they still only make basic use of these technologies for communicating and promoting their business, missing opportunities to improve their competitiveness, productivity and sustainability, according to a new document published by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbe…

CEPAL examina el proceso de transformación digital de las mipymes turísticas de los países del SICA

Las micro, pequeñas y medianas empresas (mipymes) turísticas de los países miembros del Sistema de la Integración Centroamericana (SICA) reconocen la importancia de las herramientas digitales para atraer a los turistas, obtener visibilidad y vender, y muestran gran apertura para incursionar en ellas. Sin embargo, aún hacen un uso básico de estas tecnologías para comunicarse y promocionar la empresa, desaprovechando oportunidades para mejorar su competitividad, productividad y sostenibilidad, plantea un nuevo documento publicado por la Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL).…

A CEPAL analisa o processo de transformação digital de MPME turísticas dos países do SICA

As micro, pequenas e médias empresas (MPME) turísticas dos países-membros do Sistema da Integração Centro-Americana (SICA) reconhecem a importância das ferramentas digitais para atrair turistas, ganhar visibilidade e vender, e mostram grande abertura para incursionar nelas. No entanto, ainda fazem uso básico dessas tecnologias para comunicar e promover as empresas, perdendo oportunidades para melhorar sua competitividade, produtividade e sustentabilidade, diz um novo documento publicado pela Comissão Econômica para a América Latina e o Caribe (CEPAL). A publicação Turismo na América Central e …

The Hummingbird Vol. 8 No. 6

Environmental Big Push in the Caribbean

The Hummingbird Vol. 8 No. 5

El turismo de Centroamérica y la República Dominicana ante las tecnologías digitales: retos y oportunidades para las mipymes

En este estudio se analiza el estado de la transformación digital de las mipymes turísticas de los países miembros del Sistema de la Integración Centroamericana (SICA) y el potencial de las herramientas digitales para aumentar su competitividad y productividad, y facilitar su recuperación por la crisis causada por la pandemia. La paralización del sector turístico y las expectativas de una lenta recuperación dan una oportunidad para aprovechar el tiempo y acortar la brecha digital que enfrentan las mipymes turísticas de la región. Es importante recordar que, pese a la urgencia por digitalizar l…

The case for financing: Caribbean resilience building in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic

The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has not only been sudden but has required significant re-adjustment on the part of world economies with far-reaching effects anticipated in the short to medium term. For vulnerable Caribbean economies already challenged by high debt service payments, external support is needed to fill the resource gap. The objective of this report is to assess the impact of the pandemic imposed restrictions across six critical sectors and to provide policy recommendations to ensure a swift recovery and make a case for greater external concessional financial support to the…

The Hummingbird Vol. 8 No. 2

Evaluación de los efectos e impactos de la pandemia de COVID-19 sobre el turismo en América Latina y el Caribe: aplicación de la metodología para la evaluación de desastres (DaLA)

En este documento se estiman los efectos e impactos de la pandemia de enfermedad por coronavirus (COVID-19) en el sector del turismo receptor de los países del Caribe, Centroamérica y México y América del Sur, utilizando la metodología DaLA. Debido a la incertidumbre sobre la duración de la pandemia, se esperan pérdidas por varios años. Entre 2020 y 2023 las pérdidas acumuladas de estas subregiones oscilarán entre 53.000 millones y 75.400 millones de dólares en el Caribe; entre 69.100 millones y 89.200 millones de dólares en Centroamérica y México, y entre 53.000 millones y 72.400 millones de …

Central America and the pandemic: macroeconomic policy challenges

This article has a twofold purpose: to describe the social and economic situation in the countries of the Central American subregion prior to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and to provide a comparative analysis of the macroeconomic policies introduced by the governments of these countries in response to this health crisis. As a central part of that analysis, it looks at the main structural policy challenges for the enhancement of social protection and reactivation of production activity and employment to be met by these countries during and after the pandemic. The need for a natio…

Centroamérica frente a la pandemia: retos de la política macroeconómica

El propósito del presente artículo es doble. Por una parte, se ocupa de describir el estado socioeconómico de la subregión centroamericana antes de la pandemia de enfermedad por coronavirus (COVID-19). Por otra, pone a disposición un análisis comparativo de las políticas macroeconómicas que han aplicado los gobiernos de los países ante la crisis derivada de la pandemia. Como un aspecto central el texto también plantea, desde una perspectiva estructural, los principales desafíos en términos de políticas nacionales (durante la pandemia y posteriores a ella, si cabe así decirlo) de protección soc…

CEPAL Review no. 132. Special Issue. COVID-19 and the socioeconomic crisis in Latin America and the Caribbean

Revista CEPAL no. 132 - Edición Especial. El COVID-19 y la crisis socioeconómica en América Latina y el Caribe

Nota editorial .-- Presentación. Economía global y desarrollo en tiempos de pandemia: los retos para América Latina y el Caribe / Alicia Bárcena y Mario Cimoli, editores invitados .-- Asimetrías estructurales y crisis sanitaria: el imperativo de una recuperación transformadora para el desarrollo sostenible en América Latina y el Caribe / Alicia Bárcena y Mario Cimoli .-- La crisis del COVID-19 de América Latina con una perspectiva histórica / José Antonio Ocampo .-- Construir un multilateralismo favorable al desarrollo: hacia un “nuevo” nuevo orden económico internacional / Ha-Joon Chang .-- E…

Caribbean in Brief: an information document for Caribbean Small Island Developing States

This brief is intended to provide general information on the upcoming United Nations Ocean Conference on scaling up ocean actions based on science and innovation for the implementation of Agenda 2030 - Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG 14), with a view to stimulating more active, engaged participation of the Caribbean in the discussions. The United Nations Ocean Conference will be co-chaired by Kenya and Portugal, and hosted by the Government of Portugal in Lisbon, during 2021. The objective of this conference is consistent with the 2017 UN General Assembly proclamation on the Decade of Oce…

Impact of COVID-19 on transport and logistics connectivity in the Caribbean

Given their small size and geographic isolation, Caribbean countries are highly reliant on trade and tourism as important sources of income and employment. Lockdowns in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic have left islands closed, airports without flights, hotels shuttered, cruise ships docked in ports and economies in crisis. This research provides a detailed explanation of the responses to COVID-19 in the areas of international trade and transport adopted by English-speaking countries of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to limit the effects of the pandemic on trade operations and supply chain…

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the tourism sector in Latin America and the Caribbean, and options for a sustainable and resilient recovery

Since April, tourism in the region has almost come to a temporary standstill as a result of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. This temporary paralysis has not only hit Caribbean economies and employment hard, but also many local communities in Latin America. Tourism accounts for half of services exports in Latin America and the Caribbean and represents significant shares of gross domestic product (GDP) and employment. An impact scenario shows that the slump in tourism may cause total GDP growth in the Caribbean and Latin America to fall by 8 percentage points and 1 percentage point,…

Building Resilience across the Caribbean Post-COVID-19