Why Health Security is Becoming Part of Sustainable Caribbean Tourism

What is Health Security, and Why Does it Matter to Caribbean Tourism?

When people think about sustainable tourism in the Caribbean, they may picture protecting coral reefs, preserving beaches, or supporting local businesses. But there is another essential aspect of a destination’s long-term sustainability: protecting the health of the people who live, work, and travel there.

Healthy, safe tourism depends on more than beautiful scenery and hospitality. It also depends on destinations being able to identify health threats, prepare for them, and respond effectively. Dr. Jules, Director General of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) emphasized this connection, stating that “competitiveness, resilience, and sustainability are inseparable. A destination is only as attractive as it is safe. Health security, then, is not an add-on to tourism. It is one of its foundational pillars.” ¹

So what is health security? The World Health Organization (WHO) defines global public health security as the activities needed to minimize the danger and impact of acute public health events across geographical regions and international borders. These activities include both proactive measures to prepare for potential threats and reactive measures to respond when they occur. Threats monitored through health security efforts can include emerging diseases, the rapid international spread of infectious agents and their vectors, and foodborne illnesses. Mosquito-borne diseases are one example of a public health threat relevant to a region such as the Caribbean. Health security, in the example of mosquito-borne illnesses, involves stopping the spread of the diseases before they occur through methods such as eliminating mosquito breeding sites, and responding effectively when the spread of a mosquito-borne illness is detected. ²

For the Caribbean, health security has an added dimension: the same regional connections that make travel, trade, and tourism possible can also allow public health threats to cross borders. Caribbean countries are closely connected through travel, tourism, trade, and movement between islands. As a result, public health threats can spread quickly and affect multiple countries, making coordination essential. The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) describe regional health security as the capacity to prepare for and respond to threats that transcend national boundaries. CARPHA also emphasizes that these threats can affect economic stability, trade, tourism, and access to goods and services. ³

Who Does Health Security Protect in the Caribbean?

CARPHA reports that tourism contributes between 24-74% of GDP in OECS economies, and accounts for almost half of total employment.¹ Although tourism is a major reason health security receives attention in the Caribbean ,its benefits extend far beyond the visitor experience. A healthier destination is also essential for the people who call it home.

Residents and Families

Health security helps Caribbean communities prepare for health threats and respond to them as they emerge. Caribbean residents benefit from stronger surveillance, better prevention, and coordinated public-health responses, whether or not they work in tourism.

Visitors and Travelers

Visitors benefit when Caribbean destinations can identify health risks, communicate effectively, and respond to public-health concerns. Confidence in a destination’s health and safety also helps supports its tourism industry.

Tourism Workers and Businesses

Hotels, restaurants, tour operators, and other tourism businesses throughout the Caribbean need practical health and safety measures to protect staff and customers, manage risks, and maintain trust.

The Wider Caribbean Economy

Health security can help strengthen tourism resilience, investor confidence, and destination competitiveness. This is particularly important in the Caribbean, where tourism contributes substantially to many national economies.

Recognizing the importance of health security is only the first step. The challenge is turning that principle into practical systems that help Caribbean countries identify risks early, coordinate responses, and protect both residents and visitors. Across the region, cooperation is helping countries strengthen the systems and skills needed to support health security.

Putting Health Security Into Practice

Across the Caribbean, health security requires more than individual countries responding to health threats on their own. Regional cooperation helps countries share information, strengthen preparedness, and coordinate action when risks extend beyond national borders.

CARPHA plays an important role in strengthening regional public health by encouraging cooperation among countries and across sectors. It also provides framework and strategies that member countries can use to improve their preparedness and response capabilities. For mosquito-borne and other vector-borne diseases, CARPHA’s strategy includes:

Collaboration among health, tourism, agriculture, and education sectors
Community advocacy and engagement
Combining chemical and non-chemical methods of vector control
Using epidemiological and entomological surveillance to inform decisions
Developing workforce capacity
Incorporating climate change considerations into disease surveillance and prevention ¹

These efforts illustrate that health security is an ongoing process involving preparation, information-sharing, prevention, and response – not just action during an outbreak.

Regional Cooperation in Action: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

One example of a Caribbean country putting regional health security strategies into practice is Saint Vincent and the Grenadines’ adoption of CARPHA’s Regional Integrated Early Warning Surveillance and Response System (RIEWSS) in August 2026. RIEWSS is a Caribbean-tailored digital platform designed to integrate human, animal, environmental, and laboratory data. This system aims to help public health officials identify potential threats as they emerge and respond quickly. ⁴

The implementation of RIEWSS took place ahead of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines holding their SVG Carnival 2026, and hosting the opening matches of the Caribbean Premier League. As part of the rollout, RIEWSS was configured at the national level, with authorized accounts allowing officials to use available national digital data to detect, report, and share information about public health events in a timely manner. National officials also received training to familiarize themselves with the system. Implementation of RIEWSS also included also included efforts to strengthen surveillance at ports of entry, improve vector-borne disease surveillance, and prepare for mass gatherings. ⁴

Because health security relies on the ability to detect potential problems early and coordinate an effective response, preparedness for tourism and major events can be integrated into broader public health planning. By strengthening early detection and coordination, RIEWSS illustrates how regional cooperation can help Caribbean countries build their capacity to recognize and respond to emerging health threats.

Preparing for Safer Tourism: CARPHA’s Work in Tobago

Digital surveillance and national preparedness systems are not the only components of health security. Practical measures in places where residents and visitors gather are equally important. CARPHA’s work in Tobago ahead of the 2026 Carnival season provides another example of how regional organizations can help strengthen public health preparedness.⁵

In anticipation of a likely influx of visitors during the Trinidad Carnival season, CARPHA conducted a targeted capacity-building mission focused on reducing the risk of food-related and visitor-associated public health threats. As part of this initiative, CARPHA delivered a 3-day advanced food-safety and certification course through a ServSafe Train-the-Trainer program. The training involved 13 tourism-related entities, including accommodation providers and food-and-beverage businesses. CARPHA also introduced 30 tourism-industry participants to the Tourism and Health Information System (THiS), a real-time early-warning system for land-based tourism. Following the training session, 14 different facilities were registered in the THiS system. ⁵

This example highlights how health security measures can be put into practice within an individual destination such as Tobago. Food safety training helps tourism businesses strengthen their ability to manage food-related risks and reduce the potential for foodborne illness among residents and visitors. Meanwhile, THiS supports the surveillance of and response to public health threats in tourism settings. Preparing for a major event such as a Carnival also creates an opportunity to strengthen systems that can continue serving the community long after the event has ended.

Although CARPHA’s initiative in these two examples take different approaches, they reflect the sample principle: protecting public health requires preparation, timely information, and cooperation across sectors. Both examples also demonstrate the close connection between public health and tourism. Regional systems can strengthen a country’s capacity to identify and respond to health threats, but effective health security also depends on the actions of tourism businesses, local communities, and individuals. Mosquito-borne diseases are one category of health threat that requires both regional coordination and local prevention efforts. While public-health agencies and communities work to reduce mosquito populations, individuals can take steps to reduce their own exposure to bites, contributing to healthier and safer Caribbean destinations.

Health Security Starts With All of Us

Health security may involve regional surveillance systems, government planning, and public-health agencies, but it also has a place in everyday life. The choices people make at home, in their neighborhoods, and outdoors can complement the broader efforts to protect Caribbean communities. Preventing public-health threats, including mosquito-borne illnesses, involves several complementary strategies:

Public-health agencies and local authorities: conduct surveillance, implement vector control measures, provide public education, and coordinate outbreak responses.

Communities and individuals: support local efforts to reduce conditions that allow mosquitoes to breed.

Personal protection: Take practical steps to reduce exposure to mosquito bites and help protect yourself and your family.

Community-level prevention and individual protection address different parts of the problem. Mosquito control requires coordinated, sustained action rather than relying solely on individual households. At the same time, community mosquito-control efforts do not eliminate the need for personal protection. Both communities and individuals have a role to play in protecting the health of Caribbean destinations.

Personal bite prevention is a practical step people can incorporate into their everyday lives. Choosing a repellent that fits the environment and the way people spend their time can help make that protection part of a regular routine. In the Caribbean, people spend time outdoors for work, recreation, travel, family activities, and social gatherings. A repellent should be appropriate for these activities and provide protection for the intended duration of use. The Caribbean environment and outdoor lifestyle can also mean sweat and water exposure, among other factors that may affect how long a repellent remains effective. Insect repellent users should follow product-label directions rather than assume protection lasts indefinitely. They should also consider whether a product is suitable for its intended users, paying attention to its active ingredients, formulation, and directions for use.

In a region where outdoor living is part of everyday life, personal bite prevention needs to be practical enough to fit the way people actually live. Choosing a repellent suited to the Caribbean conditions can be one part of a broader approach to mosquito-bite prevention. For those looking for a product designed with Caribbean environments in mind, IMPEDE offers a premium personal protection option available across the region.

IMPEDE: personal protection designed for Caribbean conditions

IMPDE offers a personal-protection option for people who want to incorporate insect-bite prevention into their Caribbean lifestyle. Designed with Caribbean environments in mind, IMPEDE is a lotion-based repellent that is both sweat- and water-resistant. IMPEDE is a DEET-free repellent that uses IR3535® as its active ingredient. Its patented STAYTEC™ technology is designed to supports prolonged protection, with the product offering up to 14 hours of protection against mosquitoes and other biting insects commonly found throughout the Caribbean. IMPEDE is designed to fit into everyday routines with an easy-to-apply, non-greasy, and scent-free formula. It is suitable for children as young as two months old, pregnant women, and people with sensitive skin.

IMPEDE is available through retailers and pharmacies across the Caribbean. The store locator on the IMPEDE website makes it easy for Caribbean customers to find a nearby retailer. Access to appropriate personal-protection products can help people incorporate bite prevention into their routines. IMPEDE offers an option for both Caribbean residents and visitors seeking protection from mosquitoes and other biting insects.

Protecting the health of the Caribbean helps residents thrive, gives visitors greater confidence when traveling, and supports tourism as a sustainable source of opportunity across the region. Products such as IMPEDE can be one part of a broader personal-protection approach that complements efforts to safeguard Caribbean communities. Together, regional organization, tourism businesses, local communities, and individuals can help support healthier communities, safer destinations, and a more resilient Caribbean tourism sector.

IMPEDE: Supporting personal protection for a healthier, safer Caribbean.

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