CATEGORY:IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENT
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By Wallace J.A
Inside Grenada correspondent
Saturday Movember 25,2006


THE MUCH TALKED ABOUT WHTI (Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative) implementation, which would make it mandatory for U.S. citizens returning home from the Caribbean (by air) to be in possession of a valid U.S. passport from the beginning of January 2007, has been pushed back by two weeks.

The new date for the implementation of this ruling is set for Tuesday January 23, 2007. This was revealed by Michael Chertoff, the U.S. Homeland Security Secretary.

This move will undoubtedly affect the regions tourism sector in a very severe way, since most of the tourists who visit the region come from North America, and a vast number of them do not use passports. It is believed that only a small number of U.S. citizens are actually in possession of valid passports. Most of these travelers from North America use other forms of ID, like drivers licenses, to travel.

It is estimated that the region could lose as much as US$2 billion and about 200,000 jobs in the vital tourism sector could disappear as a result of the adverse impact of this ruling (WHTI).

Some regional experts have likened the impact of this ruling to the devastation of a category five hurricane on Caribbean economies. It is also the view of many that regional governments and organizations representing the tourism industry in the region seem to have ‘fallen asleep at the wheel’ and have not done enough to lobby with U.S. policy makers to impressively articulate the concerns of the region as it relates to the impact of the ruling on the economies of Caribbean territories.

Many Caribbean countries are currently saddled with huge debts, especially in light of the fact that Cricket World Cup (CWC) 2007 will be played in the Caribbean. Countries selected to host matches (Grenada among them) are expected to invest millions of dollars in building stadia, upgrading hospitals, improving the delivery of health care services, improving basic infrastructure and significantly upgrading the security apparatus in the region to make it 21st century compliant. These are only a few of the areas that have increased the debt burden on some regional economies.

The tremendous economic blow that countries in the region will be dealt by the WHTI implementation coupled with the colossal debts that have to be repaid in future years are bound to send cold chills down the spines of many Caribbean nationals.

According to Michael Chertoff, the passage of the new passport rules for passengers coming into the U.S. (by air) from the Caribbean will make it difficult for terrorists to misuse travel documents to enter America.

For the time being, the cruise ship passengers entering the U.S. are not mandated to have a valid passport in their possession. This, however, is scheduled to change sometime in 2008.

This arrangement seems to punch holes in the theory that the passport requirement for airline passengers would make it difficult for terrorists to enter the United States, since a would-be terrorist can enter the U.S. by boat/ cruise ship and not have to present a passport.