For most people, the Caribbean is synonymous with tropical islands with exotic flora and fauna, surrounded by blue seawater and white sandy beaches where the tourism industry can be disaggregated into cruise, all-inclusive, special interest and ecotourism. Tourism is one of the most important areas of economic activity in the Caribbean. Every year, the Caribbean welcomes 20.1 million visitors, or about 2 per cent of world tourism. Yet, Caribbean tourism is closely associated with climate; climatic factors impact on the time available to engage in leisure activities, on operating costs for tourism establishments and environmental conditions. This policy brief focuses on Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Cuba, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago.