OECS member states advance plans towards first common tourism policy

First conference towards a common OECS tourism policy

Senior Tourism Officials are scheduled to meet in Antigua & Barbuda on August 16th and 17th 2011 at a workshop designed to finalize the first ever Common Tourism Policy for the OECS region.

Programme Officer at the OECS Secretariat Dr. Lorraine Nicholas says tourism officials are reviewing a draft final Common Tourism Policy document ahead of the meeting in St. Johns’: “Quite a bit of work has gone into the formulation of the Policy. The consultants have done considerable work in putting together this policy which is it draft form. When we meet in Antigua next week the primary objective will essentially be to finalize the Policy. The senior tourism officials from across the region will be reviewing the draft Policy with a view to ensuring that it in sync with their vision and aspirations for tourism development in the OECS region”

The coming workshop follows an initial consultation held in March 2011, where tourism professionals from the region’s private and public sectors identified and prioritized key areas on which the Policy should focus. Some of the broad focus areas highlighted by the first workshop include: transportation; tourism awareness; product development; customs and immigration procedures; environmental and cultural sustainability and sustainable financing. The March meeting also identified actions to address each of the policy focus area.

Immediately following the first workshop in St. Lucia, the Consultants visited all nine OECS Member States discuss with key stakeholders key issues affecting the development of tourism and their buy-in to the emerging Common Tourism Policy.  The Consultants also presented initial findings and observations to the OECS Council of Tourism Ministers at their 10th meeting held in St. Kitts on 19th April 2011.

At that meeting, OECS Tourism Ministers endorsed the priority areas identified for inclusion in the Policy, emphasizing the need for immigration and border control in the OECS to be addressed as priority issues in the Policy. The pending Common Tourism Policy is within the context of the OECS Economic Union as a single financial and economic space.

At least twenty tourism professionals from the region’s private and public sectors are confirmed to attend the second workshop booked for the Jolly Beach Resort & Spa in Antigua. The primary aim of the workshop will be to review the draft document and secure agreement among OECS Member States on priorities and actions for the final Common Tourism Policy. The workshop is facilitated via technical assistance support provided by the Commonwealth Secretariat. Yellow Railroad, a consulting firm based in the UK was contracted to execute the project, which is expected to be completed at the end of August, 2011.

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2 Comments

  1. August 11, 2011

    People where were the ministers in the government? Transportation, Tourism, Product development, Environment, Culture and Finance ministers? Or is it a one man party? Is this representation? So he has to be so many place/offices. Does that explain why he is leaving such a trail behind that he is not able to cover with rationale explanations? Are there ministers with portfolios that they cannot follow or understand and yet obtaining salaries from tax payers with benefits? The “Prime Minister” was the chairman of CARICOM, sir did you not have any knowledge of common tourism policy. Sir whose business did you say tourism is? And sir did you not as leader of government to focus and up hold this industry as the number 1 economic producer to this island? Where is the vision from the board not the drawing one because you may play this as a game and this is not. Guess what even this was a plan to benefit greatly those who may be implementing it, how can we take what we can because of the resources and involvement. In other words how can we capitalize on such an opportunity? You tell people that they are Dominica because you say you are. Well just a thought: are you aware that there are so many more Dominicans, (aka Dominica) leaving outside of Dominica than the present population in Dominica. Please if you work to address the needs of the people/Dominica much will be achieved .Do you know why? Sir they patronize their own strongly. They boast and promote their own. They love their own and look forward to coming back to what they have enjoyed, nurtured and missed. Just imagine when they are out there, they are connected to so many people and they do market well. You and all involved will be in surplus. The returns will be bountiful. When you go ahead with an international airport this will expand Our borders and territories. So much wait/weight will be lifted up enough for all to say what a relief. Sir do you believe in growth brings change? It is time to change direction which in turn will change course. Don’t you think we are over flowing with capabilities and resources? Sir for too long Dominicans/Dominica have toured over Dominica via the air, wasting time,money,energy and so much more to get to it. Don’t you think the torture has gone on for too long? And tell me sir what is the purpose? There are healthy, wealthy and wise Dominicans who are out there; with many they know who are waiting with such weight to come home. Sir to have struggled, undergoing so many difficulties to earn what they have and get to where they are. Why set policies to enslave them at home. Do you think they are still SLAVES and you a house-slave their master. I heard you say this Country “TOO FREE”x3.Did you mean Dominicans/Dominica is Too Free? Well if I may ask master out of all fairness, don’t you think they have earned their freedom and ran the race and endured to the end? That is enough for thought until when needed. Sir I have HEARD: “Thought Is Raw Material for Action.” As for me and my house We Believe The Word Of Our LORD GOD possess the Power To Bring Forth Life And All It Is Spoken To Do. Sir it is not good to hold back wages, respect and all that which is good to whom it is due. Thanks for your time and for reading and listening.

  2. ineedfree
    August 11, 2011

    WHO ARE THE PEOLPE TO BENEFIT FROM THOSE TOURISM PROGRAMS.

    DONT WORRY THE CAUSIAN IS THERE PRESENTING A PLAN NEVER FOR THE POOR BECAUSE THAT IS HOW THEY MAINTAIN THEIR POWER….THEY SUCK ON THE ENERGY OF THE WEAK EVEN WHEN THEY PRETEND TO BRING RELIEF.

    THEY JUSTIFY THE CODE: SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST.

    THANKS ADMIN.

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