Forging Greater Tourism Linkages in the OECS

Contact: Rose Marie Harris

Tuesday, May 29, 2001 – Governments of the eastern countries have established the OECS  Council of Ministers of Tourism.  According to Saint Lucia’s Tourism Minister Honourable Menissa Rambally , this initiative is aimed at pursuing greater collaboration in dealing with common tourism issues, and will  be discussed further, when the Ministers meet in July.

 “We are now working to ensure that both the OECS Secretariat and the OECS regionally can work towards establishing that council so that there could be a permanent council of Ministers of Tourism.   To date we have been having informal dialogues but we have re cognised the need to now form ourselves as the OECS islands into a formal grouping of tourism council to ensure that on matters of similarity, matters where we could work together and collaborate to the benefit of the islands, we could do so in a way to strengthen the islands from a tourism industry perspective,” Minister Rambally said.

Minister Rambally believes that St. Lucia is in a very good position to assist other OECS islands in strengthening their own product while Saint Lucia continues to increase its competitiveness.  “Saint Lucia,  during the last two years,  has gained a reputation and certainly we have won awards for the diversity of our products and where we’ve taken it in the last few years.   There is certainly room to continue to make it even better.   The Ministry is now focussing on some initiatives of minimum standards, which we have undertaken, with some of the sectors.  We will continue to do so this year,” the minister stated.

[ Home ] [ Up ] [ Search for 2001 Press Releases ] [Site Help]

© 2001 Government Information Service. All rights reserved.

Read our privacy guidelines.