Saint Lucia’s Tourism Minister, Dr. Ernest Hilaire, has warned that the Caribbean must not lose tourism ground in the critical United States market.
Hilaire, also Deputy Prime Minister, was articulating the importance of Caribbean Week in New York and the event’s impact on promoting regional tourism.
“We have to continue to build the Caribbean brand,” he explained.
In addition, Hilaire spoke of the need to ensure that the Caribbean as a bloc becomes more competitive and attractive, reinstating itself in the market.
“The tri-state area is very significant for the Caribbean region,” the Saint Lucia Tourism Minister explained.
“We must not lose ground. We cannot allow other regions to assert themselves and become prominent and, in a sense, become more dominant in the market. We need to assert the presence of the Caribbean as a preferred option,” Hilaire declared.
In addition, he explained that each Island would sell its strong points while the region ensures that it markets itself heavily.
Hilaire’s remarks came in a video recording Tuesday on the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) Facebook page.
Late last month, the CTO announced the return of Caribbean Week in New York after a hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The event will be from June 5-8.
Under the auspices of the CTO Foundation, the activity aims to showcase the vibrant Caribbean culture, foster engagement with the media, promote thought leadership, and encourage networking within the tourism industry.
The ground we should not be losing has already been sold and continues being sold under our noses by both Labour and Flambeau politicians in this country. Sick and tired of all these fools.
Am beginning to think the young people do have a cure for all these madness those politicians doing
Tourism is just subservience on steroids. No viable careers for our youth just serve white people….that you peddling Hillaire? Nothing of substance. No vision!!!!
Out of the blues there is a cure for tourism??
Was looking forward to , not putting our eggs in one basket . I’m tired of hearing this word TOURISM “ repeat of the EX Prime minister . Are we still on the same path ??? . Bring in some factories. Please my honorable ones .
In the mean time we should consider imposing a minimum of $10 per hour to the workers that encourages the visitors to re-visit and that is why the workers deserve a minimum living wage of $10 per hour to help their Families..