Competition and complementarity between road and rail transport in the carriage of freight

A seminar on competition and complementarity between road and rail transport in the carriage of freight was conducted at ECLAC Headquarters on 6-7 November 2001. The seminar was attended by experts on transport matters from a range of countries, and their presentations covered the current state of integration of transport in countries like Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Mexico. Also in attendance was an expert from Central America, who spoke about modal integration of freight transport in that region. Three round-table discussions were held with the participation of representatives of the trucking and rail sectors, drawn from both the private and public spheres.

Competition Policy and Trade Agreements in the Region: Exploring Forums for Cooperation and Convergence

The similarities of competition provisions in integration and other intraregional agreements and the dissemination of this information could serve as a basis for progress in cooperation and convergence on this issue in the region. The negotiation processes that have taken place for these agreements have also enhanced communication between the national agencies concerned, leading to processes of learning and harmonization; these processes could be strengthened as part of the current efforts of administrating and implementing trade agreements. This edition of the FAL Bulletin reviews the information available in order to see how progress can be made on this issue on the basis of the analysis and bibliography of Álvarez and others (2006), and Silva and Álvarez (2006).

An assessment of the economic and social impacts of climate change on the tourism sector in the Caribbean

There are significant, fundamental changes taking place in global air and sea surface temperatures and sea levels. The Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change noted that many of the warmest years on the instrumental record of global surface temperatures have occurred within the last twelve years, i.e. 1995-2006 (IPCC, 2007). The Caribbean tourism product is particularly vulnerable to climate change. On the demand side, mitigation measures in other countries – for example, measures to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels – could have implications for airfares and cruise prices and, therefore, for the demand for travel, particularly to long-haul destinations such as the Caribbean (Clayton, 2009). On the supply side, sea level rise will cause beaches to disappear and damage coastal resorts. Changes in the frequency and severity of hurricanes are likely to magnify that damage. Other indirect impacts on the tourism product include rising insurance premiums and competition for water resources (Cashman, Cumberbatch, & Moore, 2012). The present report has used information on historic and future Caribbean climate data to calculate that the Caribbean tourism climatic index (TCI) ranges from −20 (impossible) to +100 (ideal). In addition to projections for the Caribbean, the report has produced TCI projections for the New York City area (specifically, Central Park), which have been used as comparators for Caribbean country projections. The conditions in the source market provide a benchmark against which visitors may judge their experience in the tourism destination. The historical and forecasted TCIs for the Caribbean under both the A2 and B2 climate scenarios of the IPCC suggest that climatic conditions in the Caribbean are expected to deteriorate, and are likely to become less conducive to tourism. More specifically, the greatest decline in the TCI is likely to occur during the northern hemisphere summer months from May to September. At the same time, the scenario analysis indicates that home conditions during the traditional tourist season (December – April) are likely to improve, which could make it more attractive for visitors from these markets to consider ‘staycations’ as an alternative to overseas trips.