Basseterre, St. Kitts, November 16, 2016 (SKNIS): Alistair Williams, Chairman of the Tourism Awareness Month Committee, said that this year’s Tourism Awareness Month theme: “Tourism Education: Connectivity for Sustainability” celebrates the Ministry of Tourism’s launch of Tourism Education and Awareness Programme, while appearing on “Working for You” on Wednesday, November 16.
The programme, which was recently launched, is piloted in three schools, namely, the Basseterre High School, Dr. William Connor and the Sandy Point Primary Schools.
“We have two primary schools, two technical and a vocational school back on board with us so that we can discuss more in depth about tourism and how each of us can play our part to help to develop the industry,” said Mr. Williams. “Although we dedicated November to tourism awareness, for us, tourism awareness and sensitization is a year round initiative. However, we decided that in November, we will set aside some time to celebrate some of our achievements, but at the same time to allow persons to understand what is happening in the industry and how they can play a part in the development of the industry and the opportunities that are available out there for them to be even more integral in the process.”
He reiterated that although tourism is a year round activity, focus is placed on accelerating the ministry’s efforts in November so that more persons, especially young people, can know more about what is happening in the tourism sector in St. Kitts and Nevis.
Recently, a tourism club was formed to complement the Tourism Education Awareness Programme. It was initiated at the Dr. William Connor Primary School. Students will be given lessons within the classroom, as well as hands on experience in the St. Kitts Tourism Industry. This would give tourism officers the opportunity to allow the students to tour various areas, both historical and cultural, hotels and other areas associated with tourism based on the topics being taught in the tourism workbook.
In his speech to commence Tourism Awareness Month 2016, the Honourable Lindsay Grant, Minister of Tourism, noted that programmes such as these form part of “government’s pro-people approach to tourism sector development, and are intended to translate into youth inclusion and capacity building, entrepreneurship and employment, so our citizens are empowered and equipped to deliver a quality, authentic and uniquely Kittitian and [Nevisian] experience, that will add value and differentiate us from other destinations.”
