Basseterre, St. Kitts, December 22, 2017 (SKNIS): Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, Mrs. Carlene Henry-Morton, said that the ministry is going beyond the sun, sand and sea paradigm and focusing on heritage in its marketing efforts towards the mission of sustainable tourism.
While appearing on the Government’s Weekly Programme, “Working for You”, on December 20, Mrs. Henry-Morton said that the Ministry of Tourism is now taking a historical approach towards marketing the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis as a tourist destination. She explained that the federation has approximately 241 historical sites, some of which are still unknown to the public.
The Ministry of Tourism is seeking historians to tell the story of the island’s historical sites as part of the country’s tourism product, the permanent secretary said.
“The stories are there, but how can we bring them alive, how do we train our people to tell those stories,” she stated.
Diannille Taylor- Williams, Assistant Secretary responsible for Sustainable Tourism, noted the importance of telling a story that is unique to each island. She said that the unique history of the island is what sets it apart in the international market and attracts guests from overseas.
Mrs. Taylor-Williams also said that it is vital that locals as well as visitors buy in to the tourism product. She explained that the federation scores highly on the tourist satisfaction surveys due to the hospitable nature of the people.
