by Kevon Browne
St. Kitts and Nevis (WINN): Tourism Awareness Month, observed annually in November, is set to highlight the valuable contribution of the sector to all segments of the economy, according to the Minister of Tourism, the Hon Lindsay Grant, in an address to mark the month.
Minister Grant made those remarks against the backdrop of COVID-19’s strain on the national economy.
The theme for Tourism Awareness Month is “Tourism for Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Economic Recovery” and will be celebrated with month-long activities.
The events include a Heritage and Wellness Hike to Hermitage Estate on Saturday, November 6; a Tourism themed Family Feud event at Vibe Beach Bar on Thursday, November 11; a beach clean up at Reggae Beach on Saturday, November 13; A panel discussion on Wednesday, November 24 and more throughout the month.
Carlene Henry-Morton, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, addressed some of the aspects within the sector they wish to highlight during the month’s observance.
“There are some areas we really want to drill down on; job creation and retention, retooling and upskilling of all stakeholders and our operators, persons who provide goods and services in the sector… to adapt to new business models that are emerging, to place greater emphasis on innovation and creativity so that we remain competitive and appealing as a destination. We want to make sure that we continue to generate decent livelihoods for our citizens,” said PS Morton.
“We have to begin to adjust our attitudes, our actions, our ways of doing business in the sector to meet the demands of a transformed and ever-changing tourism landscape. We also want to emphasise that true sustainability and resilience will require ongoing dialogue as a precursor to action … and to help us in a practical, informed decision, to be solution-driven, so we address what the needs are, what the challenges are, what the opportunities are on the ground.”
The month’s observance adds a thrust to the tourism industry as cruise traffic ramps up for November with 27 calls for the month. The CEO of the St. Kitts Tourism Authority reminded us of the progress we have made since the halt to the sector, saying, “I just want to say to everyone, this is our fifth ship today since we started in September. Guess what? We have two more ships tomorrow. So, in other words, over the last four weeks or five weeks, we’ve had four ships. But now, in one week, we have four ships. We will get back… it’s going to build,” explains CEO Brown.
