Basseterre, St. Kitts, July 22, 2020 (SKNIS): The Ministry of Tourism has again embarked on a number of mandatory training exercises with bars, restaurants and all other businesses in the sector in St. Kitts in order to prepare them to provide services that are different in the COVID-19 environment, says Minister of Tourism, the Honourable Lindsay Grant, during the Leadership Matters Virtual Forum on July 21.
All stakeholders are required to attend the training, which started on July 22, said Minister Grant, noting that they will not be allowed to open if they do not attend and receive certification at the end.
“The businesses, the restaurants, the bars, who do not avail themselves of the training facilities in conjunction with NEOC and the tourism stakeholders will not be allowed to open because after the training exercises you are going to get a certification and the bars and the restaurants that don’t have those certifications will not be allowed to open,” he said.
Minister Grant said that the health and wellbeing of the patrons are of paramount importance.
Week one of the training runs from July 22 to 24, 2020 for bars and restaurants. Week two will run from July 27 to 31, 2020 for the taxi and tour bus operators and accommodations. The training will continue until August 27, 2020.
The Ministry of Tourism will introduce a travel approved seal. Its objective is to identify businesses and operators that meet the minimum health standards and safety protocols.
“We need to establish a minimum standard to improve the visitor confidence and that we can use as a marketing tool and can be leveraged in the market place as a value added item improving the destination marketability,” he said.
