Basseterre, St. Kitts, November 01, 2021 (SKNIS): Authorities at the Ministry of Tourism in St. Kitts are using this year’s Tourism Awareness Month, which runs from November 01-30, to focus on re-energizing the sector post COVID-19. This is expressed in the theme: “Tourism for Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Economic Recovery.”
During a televised address to the nation on Monday, November 01, 2021, to declare the month open, Minister of Tourism, the Honourable Lindsay Grant, commented on the theme.
“[The theme was] carefully selected to reflect the critically important role tourism must play going forward in delivering benefits that are more equitably spread across sectors and within our communities, so they are enjoyed more widely and fairly by all citizens and residents,” said Minister Grant.
Minister Grant said that stakeholders innovatively tackled the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 Pandemic.
“The phased, “All of Society” approach adopted from inception to manage the pandemic, clearly underscores our realization that measurable, sustainable recovery and growth in the sector can only be realized through the consistent practice of inclusion, cooperation and collaboration. In this regard, our “Travel Approved” Certification and Seal Programme, developed over a year ago by the Ministry of Tourism and the St. Kitts Tourism Authority, has offered all tourism-related business operators and service providers access to training necessary to safely and responsibly rebuild and restart tourism,” said the tourism minister. “To secure broad stakeholder participation, the XCD $100 application-fee was waived and a comprehensive communications campaign was undertaken to promote the programme and ensure that everyone in the entire tourism community was fully aware of its availability, at no cost again.”
Minister Grant indicated that the fee is waived again for the 2021-2022 season. Equally important, he added that from July 2020 to August 2021, 3557 persons across St. Kitts and Nevis accessed the training. As of September 2021, an additional 221 persons received the training. The training will continue in November and December and “beyond as necessary,” he said.
