Basseterre, St. Kitts, December 01, 2015 (SKNIS): The St. Kitts and Nevis Chamber of Industry and Commerce (CIC) made a clarion call to stakeholders to get involved in sustainable development in the tourism industry during the St. Kitts Sustainable Tourism Forum at the Ocean Terrace Inn on Monday, November 30.
Brenda John, Executive Director-CIC and member of the Inter-Agency Sustainable Destination Management Council (IASDMC), advised participants to play their part and forge new beginnings for the benefit of everyone.
“I urge you to take a page from the chapter now begun for the CIC which is forging a new beginning,” she said, adding that this, within the sphere of what is required to sustain St. Kitts and Nevis as a prime destination has caused the CIC to make alliances engaging several issues and developing certain areas.
She encouraged the stakeholders to use the forum as a measureable tool at a community and national level. “You will have the opportunity to learn, to share, to be exposed to and to experience ways to engage you singularly and collectively,” she stated.
The Executive Director described the CIC as being the leading organization for business support in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis. She stated that many businesses have been formed and grown to levels of success mirrored through the Chamber’s contribution to economic development, while noting that the CIC has worked closely with the Federal Government on a number of initiatives such as trade negotiations, policy formation, curriculum development, and security enhancement.
Lizzie Keenan, Director of Marketing and Communications at Sustainable Travel International (STI), stated that St. Kitts and Nevis is well supported as a destination.
“We have worked with destinations around the world and St. Kitts and Nevis has always been one of our favourites to work with because there is so much support here,” she said, adding that a lot of attention is given to the future of the destination and of the people here.
Ms. Keenan said that her company’s hope is to improve lives and protect places through travel and tourism. She stressed that tourism should be a solution and not a problem, as they have seen cases where it has been a solution and they are excited to help push those forward in many destinations.
Sustainable Travel International is a 13 year old non-profit entity that works with governments, companies, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and local communities to help unite a new tourism in order to choose the right balance between economic development, green growth and the protection of natural and cultural assets. They have been developing, testing and sharing inclusive methodologies, tools and knowledge to enable self-directed sustainability for the travel and tourism industry.
In addition to the forum, there is a sustainable tourism professionals training workshop on Tuesday, December 01, at Solid Waste Management Corporation (SWMC). A site visit is planned for St. Kitts on Wednesday, December 02, and in Nevis on Friday, December 04. On Thursday, December 03, the Sustainable Travel International team which comprises of Lizzie Keenan, Andrew Grossmann and Leah Carriere will meet with various tourism stakeholders.
The events are organized by the Ministry of Tourism in collaboration with Sustainable Travel International and supported by IASDMC.