Fortunately, after the COVID-19 pandemic, the Jamaican tourism industry bounced back at breakneck speed and was on its feet long before many other areas of the world. Once again, the country calls upon the industry to rise to the challenge after Hurricane Melissa.

For sure, tourism has been a low-hanging fruit for Jamaica over these many years, demonstrating the grit and muscle demanded by the economy in times of great national stress, particularly in the area of foreign exchange earning, and the ability to put people back to work.

And yet, it is important that we do not take it for granted that the industry will pull through on its own.

As Jamaica launches into the mammoth recovery and reconstruction effort that the hurricane has engendered, there is another voice that should be heard and heeded in this regard.

The founder of the Miami-based Global Empowerment Mission (GEM) Mr Michael Capponi, who has made himself a friend of Jamaica, and indeed of the world, has some wise advice for the Government in respect of the need to keep tourism front and centre, as it addresses the nation’s long-term identity, stability, and economic future.

The point Mr Capponi makes is easy to miss at a time when the level of desperation and deprivation is deep and the suffering people want immediate solutions. Responding to the Government’s plans to deploy pre-built container homes as one of the near-term housing solutions for victims of the hurricane, Mr Capponi cautions:

“In the aftermath of major disasters, many international organizations rush in with solutions intended to provide rapid relief. Yet history has shown that some of these interventions, while well-intentioned, can unintentionally harm the very communities they aim to support.”

Mr Capponi, who is credited with decades of disaster-response experience, argued that the short-term approach to disaster relief poses serious risks for Jamaica, whose global identity and economy rely heavily on cultural authenticity, natural beauty, and tourism.

“…Jamaica is not just another location on a map — it is one of the world’s most iconic tourism destinations. Introducing large numbers of foreign, prefabricated structures could “fundamentally alter the visual landscape and cultural atmosphere that millions travel to experience,” he reminds.

As example, he pointed to the mass importation of temporary housing trailers in the United States following Hurricane Katrina in 2005. These units offered quick shelter but later caused “long-term complications — structural issues, environmental hazards, and the creation of sprawling trailer parks that became symbols of dysfunction rather than recovery”.

The 14-year-old GEM is among the foremost relief organisations responding to the devastation of the western parts of Jamaica by Hurricane Melissa, and has already shipped 18 containerloads and 18 planeloads of relief supplies to the island. Its more than 1,490 pallets, weighing 1.5 million pounds, were secured with the help of over 1,300 volunteers at a cost of more than US$4.3 million, according to the organisation.

Its website said GEM is able to respond within 24 to 72 hours after a disaster, distribute critical aid, and remain on-site for months or years to help rebuild infrastructure, homes, and livelihoods.

This is the kind of experience that we need to throw in the mix.