Business View Caribbean | Volume 8, Issue 6

9 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN VOLUME 8, ISSUE 6 A s part of its ongoing programme to help guide tourism’s response to multiple hazards and to enhance the sector’s resilience, the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) has launched an online risk management course which aims at improving the skills and competencies of regional tourism industry stakeholders. The course, Multi-Hazard Risk Management for the Caribbean Tourism Sector, is being launched to coincide with the start of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season, which forecasters predict will be an overactive one with as many as 20 named storms, up to ten hurricanes – up to five of which will be category three or higher. And at a recent online discussion organised by the CTO to help member countries prepare for CTO LAUNCHES ONLINE RISK MANAGEMENT COURSE TO COINCIDE WITH START OF 2021 ATLANTIC HURRICANE SEASON the season, meteorologist Dr. Athena Massan revealed that sea temperatures had reached 80 degrees in late April, more than two months ahead of a normal year, increasing the likelihood of tropical storms affecting the Caribbean. “With the scientists predicting an active season, the launch of this training course by the CTO is both timely and relevant as it will provide participants with practical skills to mitigate, prepare for, respond to and recover from not just hurricanes, but the range of natural and other hazards which can affect the Caribbean tourism industry,” says Neil Walters, the CTO’s acting secretary general. This three-month certificate course, which runs through to the end of August, was specifically designed to reduce vulnerability and increase OPENING L INES