The Organization of American States (OAS) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) joined forces to convene an OECS Regional Workshop on Integrating Best Practices for the Conservation of Biodiversity into the Tourism Sector’s Planning and Activities. The workshop was an activity under the Tourism and Biodiversity component of the ongoing Protecting the Eastern Caribbean Region’s Biodiversity (PERB) Project, which aimed to provide a series of recommendations for interventions and geared towards managing and reducing the impacts on biodiversity by the Tourism Sector.

The workshop, which was held at the Blue Horizons Garden Resort in St. Georges Grenada, during the period October 28-29, 2009, had two primary objectives as follows: (1) to provide training in established best practices for individuals who are associated directly or indirectly with the tourism sector in each of the OECS countries; and (2) to identify, through a number of discussion sessions, those activities considered to be most suitable to particular site situations in each of territories. 

The Agenda for the event featured, among other things, group discussions that allowed for the identification of the issues through the development of specific case studies; a field trip to observe and discuss local examples on subject issues; a special focus on marine environments; the role of planning in resource protection; and a presentation that will focus on local park experiences and perspectives.

The workshop attracted experts in resource protection; impact of tourism on biodiversity; reducing and managing impacts on biodiversity; biological resources and the role of planning in resource protection. Mrs. Jacqueline Armony of the National Trust, Mr. Lemuel Pemberton of the Nevis Department of Fisheries and Mr. Kenneth Samuel of Kenneth Dive Center in St. Kitts, are representing the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis at the workshop.

The OAS Department of Economic Development, Trade and Tourism and the OECS Secretariat collaborated to host the workshop.