Participants of the two-day workshop on a common OECS tourism policy.
St. John’s Antigua- OECS tourism stakeholders who met in Antigua this week have agreed to a first ever blueprint that will guide the sub-regional industry for the next four years.
The Common Tourism Policy, which has been recommended for review after 2015, was finalised at a two-day workshop at the Jolly Beach Resort & Spa.
The priority areas agreed to include harmonisation of border control, which involves unifying immigration and customs procedures; human resource development; research and statistics; tourism awareness and investment.
“Some of them would be done in the short term, some would be in the medium term, some in the long term but we are looking to revise this policy after 2015,” Programme Officer at the OECS Secretariat Dr Lorraine Nicholas told The Daily OBSERVER at the conclusion of the meeting.
“As the minister for tourism in Antigua indicated, we need not only focus on the public sector even though the public sector will essentially be the ones responsible for implementing the policies, but the private sector also plays a key role in tourism development as they are the ones who generate revenue from tourism,” she added.
Dr Nicholas explained that the secretariat has already secured funding to implement the policy under the 10th European Development Fund, EDF, programme.
Overall, she described the meeting as very successful and fruitful stating, “I think now, we have a very clear understanding as to what should be included in this policy. So I think we are very, very satisfied with the outcome of the meeting.”
A common tourism policy for the sub-region falls within the OECS Economic Union signed by member states in January.
