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Friday, October 6, 2006 - Saint Lucia’s Tourism Minister Philip J.
Pierre says he is optimistic that the Caribbean will be able to convince the
United States to opt for a diplomatic solution to the problems that can be
created by its most recent regulations requiring Americans returning home by air
from the Caribbean to have passports in thee months time.
Last Friday (September 29), the US Congress approved a further postponement in
relation to the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), which requires US
citizens to have passports when travelling to the
Caribbean, Bermuda, Canada and Mexico.
The WHTI implementation date of 8th January 2007 has now effectively been
postponed to as late as 1 June 2009 for US citizens traveling within the region
by land and sea.
An exact date has not been announced, but the US Congress has agreed to relax
the January 2007 implementation date allowing for implementation to occur as
late as June 2009.
While the postponement defers the passport requirement for travel by land and
sea, the provisions of the amendment to the Law allowing the deferral of the
implementation date are silent on the important aspect of air travel, which
appears to be unaffected by the recent amendment.
But the announcement from Washington evoked loud and immediate response from the
Caribbean’s tourism sector.
Almost in unison, immediately after the US congress’ vote, the Barbados-based
Caribbean Tourist Organisation (CTO) and the Puerto Rico-based Caribbean Hotel
Association (CHA) said the region would reel from the US Congress vote Monday to
amend the WHTI in favour of Mexico, Canada and cruise shipping companies, over
airline passengers going to the Caribbean.
The CTO described the American vote as being akin to "a category 6 hurricane"
for the region, while the CHA warned affected countries to brace for "a genuine
economic and social upheaval, caused by the inevitable shift in travel by US
citizens".
The US government amendment delays the implementation of the new passport
requirements until June 1, 2009 for land crossings at the Mexican and Canadian
borders and for cruise passengers coming to the US from the Caribbean, Mexico,
Canada or Bermuda.
But the regulations still required all US citizens travelling by air to these
regions to have a passport by January 8, 2007, thus causing the stir in regional
tourism circles.
It came as part of the Homeland Security Department's requirement that all US
citizens returning to the United States have passports, with the deadline for
enforcement being January 8, 2007.
But regional tourism interests have been expressing fear there will possibly be
a sting in the tail, specifically a huge drop in American visitors, who, the
analysts say, can't bother to get passports to travel by air and would find it
much less hassling to take a cruise vacation.
Saint Lucia Tourism Minister, like his regional counterparts, is “greatly
concerned” about the potential impact of the latest measure.
Speaking here before leaving for an OECS Tourism Ministers meeting in Puerto
Rico, Mr. Pierre acknowledged that the regulations, if they remained, “will deal
a severe blow to our economic structure, as was the case with bananas.”
But he said he also counted on the ability of the Caribbean’s Governments to
convince the Americans of how bad that could be.
“I have confidence that we can sit at the table with the Americans, speak to
them, and they will understand, and this whole matter will be handled and
settled diplomatically,” he said.
Jamaican hotel magnate Gordon Butch Stewart, Saint Lucian hotelier Allen
Chastanet and Saint Lucia’s extra-parliamentary opposition Leader Sir John
Compton have all suggested the recent American amendment could be a backlash
against the region for its support for Venezuela’s bid to get a non-permanent
seat on the UN Security Council.
But sources close to the CARICOM governments that have been taking issue with
that premise.
One CARICOM diplomat indicated that “support for Venezuela point out that the US
had made its mind up and announced steps in that regard long before Venezuelan
President Hugo Chavez addressed the UN General Assembly at the end of last
month.”
Sir John said that Saint Lucia’s “interests” lie with America and urged that the
CARICOM governments “rethink their decision” to support Venezuela.
However, diplomatic sources here say Sir John is inviting the Caribbean to take
sides between the US and Venezuela in the current wear of words between Caracas
and Washington.
Said one such diplomat based in Castries: “The Guatemalans are claiming Belize
and the Venezuelans have promised that they will not use their place on the
Security Council to press their claims on Guyana and the CARICOM states seem
happy with that.
“It’s therefore a matter of how they can assure and reassure Washington that
they are still friends who are getting a deal they can’t refuse for a commodity
they cannot afford.”
“Really, I can’t see America opposing that, unless it can offer the Caribbean a
better deal,” he said.
