CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (June 26, 2013) — A top Tourism Official on Nevis described efforts by the Ministry of Tourism to develop the island’s tourism product as progressing smoothly.
Assistant Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism Mr. Carl Williams told the Department of Information in an interview on June 25, 2013 that so far some of the enhancement projects had already begun to generate interest among locals and visitors.
“By and large our historical sites on the island are being developed and the general public, we are happy to say, are very appreciative of the efforts… [and] I think that we are progressing quite smoothly. We have got the Bath Stream that was started some time ago and that area has become a hot spot for many persons including visitors.
“The number of persons who would have been visiting and using the facility has tripled over the past months. We are still seeking some funding to get the project completed. However, on the grounds of Bath Hotel we have got some landscaping being done and some beautification work has been done as well,” he said.
Mr. Williams also spoke to ongoing work at the Fothergills Nevisian Heritage Village in Gingerland, another area which continued to experience mounting interest from visitors.
“That area is where we are seeing the evolution of Nevisian history through housing. Presently, we have got a new landscape worker there and he is doing a fantastic job. Persons, who so desire, can visit the site and I am sure they will be all impressed.
“In fact that site in particular, has drawn many reviews from persons who visit there. We are also having a number of persons, especially students from St. Kitts, who are interested and have come over to visit that particular site.
Meantime, Mr. Williams did not pass up the opportunity to voice the Ministry’s continued concern of the blatant removal of artefacts from the island’s historical sites and urged the public to desist from the indiscriminate and illegal practice.
“The Ministry and conscientious Nevisians are concerned about the removal of artefacts and other items from some of these sites and when I speak of other items, I speak specifically of stones.
“We find that too many persons are removing the stones and are selling them and I would like to appeal to the general public to desist from this practice. You are destroying our heritage; so please desist from doing this,” he urged.
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