| |
Contact:
Primus Hutchinson
Tuesday, June 29, 2004 - A challenge has been thrown out to stakeholders
and media practitioners to institute new mechanisms in an endeavour to convert
more of the region’s citizens from tourism onlookers to tourism partners.
The challenge came from Minister for Commerce, Tourism and Consumer Affairs,
Honourable Philip J. Pierre, when he addressed the opening ceremony of the sixth
Caribbean Media Exchange on Sustainable Tourism, held at the Bay Gardens Hotel
on Friday, June 25, 2004.
Mr. Pierre reiterated the important role which tourism plays in St. Lucia’s
economy, citing that sector as St. Lucia’s leading industry. He added that a
successful sustainable tourism industry was imperative for the region’s future.
According to Mr. Pierre, a cursory glance at St. Lucia’s economic landscape will
show that stay-over tourism performance for the fiscal year 2003, surpassed the
best year, which was 2000. Mr. Pierre indicated that real growth in the hotel
and restaurant sub-sectors was 16.6% in 2003. He added that tourism’s direct
contribution to GDP was 16.9%. Visitor expenditure increased to $761.6 million
in 2003, from $567.3 million in 2002, and accounted for an estimated 70% of
earnings of exports of goods and services.
The Tourism Minister noted that the acclaimed Nature Heritage Tourism Programme
had served as a powerful lesson in improving the life of the average man and
woman. Minister Pierre emphasized the effects of the Heritage Tourism Programme,
in breathing new life in several rural communities, which were previously cut
off from main stream tourism activity. According to Mr. Pierre, this is all, in
an effort by government to achieve a wider distribution of tourism benefits,
placing the emphasis on using local resources and involving residents in the
development of community- based tourism products.
Mr. Pierre cited as examples, the Anse La Raye Seafood Friday activity, which
uses the village’s traditional fishing industry as the basis for a new
sustainable commercial activity, which has empowered several families in the
village with a weekly source of income. He also mentioned other heritage
attractions, such as Fon D'Or, Latille Gardens-Falls, and Grand Anse Turtle
watch which employed 17 persons from the rural community.
Mr. Pierre also had a word of caution to the media, to avoid jeopardising the
thrust already in progress in sustainable tourism. He suggested that the power
and influence of the media must be accompanied by a consciousness of deep social
responsibility.
The Tourism Minister expressed regrets at the manner in which crime was often
reported in the Caribbean media, which he said, conveyed a false impression that
our societies were overrun by criminals.
“The media must help our visitors recognise that while our Caribbean conjures up
the image of paradise, the region is not without its problem. Visitors should be
urged to take the same precautions as they would in other parts of the world,”
He said.
Mr. Pierre indicated that with the media performing its traditional watchdog
role in the context of journalism, sensitivity and caution can make a
significant contribution to the success of Caribbean tourism.
|
