CARmu. MAR. STIID., SPECIAL EomoN, 2007 28 1950 1955 1960 1'165 1970 1975 Yl•nr 19RO 1985 1990 1980 19R5 1990 1995 2000 Fto. 4.2a. Mean trophic level for the Caribbean Sea. lA 1.2 1.0 " :5 o.s 0.6 co OA r;: 0.2 0.0 -0.2 -0.4 1950 1955 191i0 1965 1970 1975 Year 1995 2000 FIG. 4.2b. FIB index for the Caribbean Sea. SouRcE: UBC Fisheries Centre. Sea Around Us Project 2006. (httr:/1\\ww.scaaroundus.oreiTrnphic Lcvci/L f\t ETroph ic Indcx.aspx'ILM E= 12& FA O=O&countrv=Caribbcan%20Sca\ most tmnism-driven region in the world. In 1em1s of jobs and export income, the contribution of tourism is nearly double that of the global average, and it accounts for more than a liflh of all capital investment in the region . Caribbean tourism conjures up images of sun-drenched, palm-fringed, white sandy beaches that epitomize the ideal symbol of paradise, rest, and relaxation. .f.2.2 between Timrism allllllumtm We/1-heiug Recreation and lourism-rela!Cd jobs and income arc linked to the amenity value or cultuml service provided by the Caribbean Sea ecosystem. i\s the fastest-growing economic activity in the region and, indeed, in many individual countries, the tourism sector contributes much by way of employment, foreign-exchange earnings, and, in some countries, important economic linkages with other sectors such as agriculture and construction. Tourism also has the potential to be the main engine of sustainable economic growth and development in many Caribbean islands. To quantify the economic contribution made by tourism, new data and forecasts have been provided to CARSE!\ by Oxford Economic Forecasting (OEF). i\s shown in Tables 4.3 and 4.4, this analysis conlim1s the conclusion of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) in 2004 that relative to its size, the insular Caribbean is the According to data from the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO 2002) almost 25 million tourists trnvellcd to destinations in the C1\RSEi\ region during the year 2000. The most popular destinations were Puerto Rico (3.3 million), Dominican Republic (3.0 million), Cancun (2.3 million), Cuba ( 1.8 million), Bahamas ( 1.6 million), and Jamaica ( 1.3 million). The total number of cruise-ship passenger arrivals in the Caribbean Sea was 14.6 million, with the most frequent ports of call being in the Bahamas (2.5 million), U.S. Virgin Islands ( 1.8 million), Cozumel ( 1.5 million), Puerto Rico ( 1.3 million), and Cayman Islands (I .0 million). The number of rooms providing tourist accommodation in the CARSE!\ region (including Cancun, Cozumcl, Vcncwela, and Belize) increased lr0111 122.000 in 1990 to almost 283,000 in 2000-"- ·an increase of more than 132% over the I 0-ycar period. In 2000, the Dominican Republic -46-