Global Tourism Resilience Centre Supports Haiti After Earthquake

A 4.9 magnitude earthquake struck south of Haiti today and left 4 people dead and 36 people injured in its wake.

Following the earthquake, the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Centre (GTRCMC) announced it is ready to support the country’s recovery. The earthquake comes almost 2 years after a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck southern Haiti and killed more than 2,000 people.

While participating in the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s Caribbean Week in New York, Co-chair of the GTRCMC and Jamaica Tourism Minister, Hon Edmund Bartlett, said:

“The GTRCMC is ready to provide support to the people of Haiti who continue to grapple with these types of disruptions that have in many cases caused devastation to life and infrastructure.”

“The volatility of the situation has forced many to relocate and created a level of uncertainty and fear,” he added.

Tuesday’s earthquake also comes as Haiti struggles to recover from heavy floods over the weekend that killed at least 51 people, injured 140 and flooded nearly 31,600 homes.

“We will discuss support strategies with some of our global stakeholders who have the knowledge and expertise in recovery efforts of this nature to formulate a plan of action,” added Co-chair of the GTRCMCand Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett.

“This tragic event is yet another reminder about the need for greater resilience so countries can plan and mitigate better against these disruptions. The Centre will, through its partners, help to coordinate well needed relief efforts,” said Executive Director of the GTRCMC, Professor Lloyd Waller.

The need for the creation of a global tourism resilience initiative was one of the major outcomes of the Global Conference on Jobs and Inclusive Growth: Partnerships for Sustainable Tourism under the  esteemed partnership of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the Government of Jamaica, the World Bank Group and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).