The OECS Commission is committed to supporting the implementation of CARPHA’s Tourism and Health Program (THP) in its Member States. In so doing has formalized its collaboration through the signing of a Letter of Agreement, at the OECS Commission’s headquarters in Saint Lucia on Friday, September 17, 2021.
The novel Tourism and Health Programme (THP) is expected to support a travel and tourism product that is safe, secure, and provides an authentic and meaningful experience to travelers to the region whilst protecting the health and wellbeing of locals. The programme is expected to align the private sector to robust common standards to ensure the safety of its workforce and travelers, making the sector more responsive to the new “COVID-19 normal”, as well as emerging health threats. This includes:
• Healthier, safer, better quality tourism product and destination
• Enhanced capacity in food safety, health & environment sanitation
• Industry-wide, real-time tourism early warning and response surveillance system (THiS) to avoid and reduce illness spread and negative publicity.
• Increase in the reputation, comparative advantage, hence marketability of travel and tourism in the OECS.
Dr. Lisa Indar, CARPHA’s Director of Surveillance, Disease Prevention and Control, speaking during CARPHA’s recent courtesy call on the OECS Director General, said
“The THP supports the livelihoods of thousands and contributes to enhancing the safety, quality, competitiveness, reputation, resilience and sustainability of Caribbean tourism.” Dr. Indar stressed “People need to feel assured that when the traffic light system does change, they can choose a healthier, safer option by coming to the Caribbean.”
OECS Director General Dr. Didacus Jules said,
“As tourism-dependent nations, this initiative is key to optimising recovery efforts and promoting the OECS as a healthier, safer destination as countries reopen to tourism. This process with CARPHA started back in 2017 with the endorsement of the OECS Council of Ministers of Health and was later supported by the OECS Council of Ministers of Tourism in 2018. It is important to note that our modus operandi is to work cross-functionally. The endorsement of both ministerial councils was an important principle in ensuring the effectiveness of the initiative. The COVID-19 pandemic has heightened the critical importance of implementing the programme. We commend Saint Lucia for being the first OECS country to fully commit to the process of implementation.”
The THP addresses threats impacting sustainable tourism in the Caribbean through an integrated approach of combining Surveillance (real-time tourism monitoring system for early alerts and response, regional guidelines for managing illnesses); Capacity building (certification crucial for promoting a healthier, safer, and better-quality tourism product); Health, Safety and Environmental Standards; Healthy workforce (training to support prevention, appropriate response and mitigation of illnesses and outbreaks) and Recognition (awarding of the Health Safer Tourism (HST) stamp). This is a robust, measurable and verifiable travelers’ health assurance and recognition award for tourism entities and destinations that are implementing the THP’s proactive health measures for tourism. The stamp has received the backing of the Caribbean Health and Tourism Association (CHTA) and the Caribbean Tourism Association (CTO).
Across the OECS Member States, THP now has over 670 tourism facilities registered on THiS; 6,662 tourism sector workers have been trained in CARPHA’s COVID-19 Guidelines for Reopening of Caribbean Tourism and Travel; and 59 facilities have been awarded the HST Stamp.
https://cdn.iframe.ly/api/iframe?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DsAlcD-CvXdg&key=8fe6cdec03482ac31f27a6ae8ea2fb3fCARPHA OECS Mission See MoreCARPHA THP Background See MoreOECS Work in Tourism See MoreOECS Work in Health Maria FowellSenior Technical Specialist – Tourism, Economic Development and Trade Policy Unit, Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States
OECS Communications UnitOrganisation of Eastern Caribbean States
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The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) is an International Organisation dedicated to economic harmonisation and integration, protection of human and legal rights, and the encouragement of good governance among independent and non-independent countries in the Eastern Caribbean. The OECS came into being on June 18th 1981, when seven Eastern Caribbean countries signed a treaty agreeing to cooperate with each other while promoting unity and solidarity among its Members. The Treaty became known as the Treaty of Basseterre, so named in honour of the capital city of St. Kitts and Nevis where it was signed. The OECS today, currently has eleven members, spread across the Eastern Caribbean comprising Antigua and Barbuda, Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, St Vincent and The Grenadines, British Virgin Islands, Anguilla, Martinique and Guadeloupe. Get updates in your mailboxSubscribe This site is protected by hCaptcha and its Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
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