BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - THE Ministry of Tourism and the Federation are celebrating November as Tourism Month and the occasion, will be used to highlight the important role tourism plays in the development of the country’s economy.
In a speech to the nation to kick start activities for Tourism Month, which is being celebrated under the theme “Tourism Education: Connectivity for Sustainability”, Tourism Minister Hon. Lindsay Grant explained that the sector is widely acknowledged “as the major engine of economic growth and social development in the Federation”.
According to the Minister, the tourism sector employs approximately 25% of the nation’s workforce while contributing directly to the country’s GDP at a rate of 25.5%.
November is also recognized as Caribbean Tourism Month, and for this period the Ministry of Tourism has planned a number of activities to showcase the importance of the sector, to give the public a better understanding of the tourism product and to support the economic driver.
Among the activities planned for this year are stakeholder meetings, workshops, a photo competition and exhibition, talks in primary and secondary schools, community outreach programmes and an Eco Tourism & Heritage Health Walk
“As a Ministry, we have committed to providing a consistently outstanding visitor experience through the sustainable development of our human, natural and cultural resources in order to maximize opportunity, prosperity and quality of life for present and future generations,” Minister Grant said.
In an effort to maintain a high standard in a sector that sees visitors spending in excess of EC$500M on an annual basis, the Ministry would continue to enhance skills-based training initiatives, such as education and training which are said to be critically important to improve service standards that would result in the delivery of exceptional experiences, the Minister noted.
“Tourism is indeed key to the continued growth of our economy, and we all need to make a conscious effort to keep abreast of what is happening in the tourism industry. Other sectors of our economy are impacted by tourism, such as agriculture, local fisheries, handicraft, entertainment, real estate, creative design, engineering and construction. Tourism has therefore become important to all of us in some form or fashion. That is why it is important that individually and collectively we all work to understand the various facets of our tourism industry,” the Minister explained.
Grant said that the Ministry of Tourism has embarked on a decidedly people-centered approach to tourism sector development with emphasis on service training and education. This strategic approach, he noted, emphasizes community outreach with particular attention being paid to grassroots leadership, and it also targets the country’s learning institutions since this is where the nation could meaningfully engage its potential and future labour force.
The Minister took timeout to acknowledge Junior Minister of Tourism, Miss Dahneira Hodge of the Washington Archibald High School, for placing fourth in the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) Regional Competition.
He pointed out that while attending the CTO Competition, she spoke to the importance of social media in marketing the destination.
