 Opportunities for all the competition Tertlusion number one Let's keep the natural beauty Off-sets at Lissie Hey! Shawty World Walk Activities for Tourism with September 24th to the 30th Good day and welcome to the official launch of World Tourism Day 2023 under the theme Tourism and Green Investments as an island nation that has earned a well-deserved reputation as a sanctuary for relaxation, adventure and cultural enrichment We thank you for joining us today as we celebrate a week of activities for this commemoration And to help me do that today we have a head table with different responsibilities So we will hear first introductory remarks from the Minister of Tourism We will also hear the area of the World Tourism Day jingle We will have a panel discussion on theme and we will end with the unveiling of the activities on the calendar Let me take the opportunity now to introduce our head table And I will start from the middle with the Minister of Tourism Of course we need no introduction Dr. Ernest Hiller, welcome sir Thank you for joining us here this morning for the launch of the activities And to Dr. Hiller's left We have the Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism Mrs. Anne Margaret Adams And to his right we have the CEO of the Community Tourism Agency Sorry, Ms. Dahlia Garde To her right we have Mr. John Masterett, the First Vice President of the St. Lucia Hospitality and Tourism Association And all of them will serve as panelists for the panel discussion And for the unveiling of the activities, we are joined by Ms. Samantha Charles to the far end, who is a Tourism Officer in the Ministry of Tourism So we are going to get started here this morning by inviting the Minister to offer introductory remarks Thank you very much, Madam Moderator And certainly it is a delight to be part of this panel discussion this morning And to present introductory remarks on the theme in particular When you reflect on the theme for this year's observance of World Tourism Day When you just the notion of a focus on climate And the issue of sustainability really brings to the fore The critical importance of the two issues and that of tourism And we'll come back and speak a bit about the significance of tourism And that of green investments And you really could not get two concepts that need to be interlocking That need to be considerate of each other's nature And I take my introductory remarks to really be focused on those two concepts But of course I need to reflect on the fact that I have on the table with me Two very magnificent awards, the World Travel Awards And just, well at least they're free but they're too relevant Because one is for the Caribbean leading destination for the nature tourism And leading destination for nature And the other one for adventure The third one is for honeymoon So we can put that one aside for now But we haven't won two awards One for adventure and one for nature Immediately tells you of the connection that Saint Lucia has to the environment And to sustainable development And when we focus today on green investment What we are seeing is that tourism and its expansion Tourism is the world's fastest growing economic activity As it grows, as the carbon footprint, as the impact on the environment grows You have to reflect on the extent to which we need to take cognizance of the impact And whether we want to proceed along the same lines At the same pace that we did historically So when now one speaks of green investments Is a call to tourism to say Tourism is growing as fast as anything else Or faster than anything else But as you expand, make sure the investments That is leading the expansion Is consistent with a recognition of the impact on the environment The need for us to be reflective Of having investments that can ensure that tourism is sustainable And you can speak of tourism sustainability in economic terms, social terms But also environmental terms And green investments says to us Moving forward, the monies that we are attracting to expand the tourism industry Should always take cognizance of the impact on the environment And make sure that those investments take into account the various components Of having a sustainable tourism industry So today's discussion is very appropriate We are at a point in time in Senonsha where we are in multiple discussions on You know, investment in the tourism industry Whether it is in community tourism Whether it is in resorts and other hotel projects And we must remind ourselves that every instance The investment must be green It must look at the various components The use of wastewater The use of clean energy The use of recycling And all those various components When we speak to an investor, we must say to them As you come to Senonsha to invest We welcome it, we want it But you must take into consideration those critical issues And which we will call green investment To make sure that your investment always takes into account Our desire to have a sustainable tourism product in Senonsha One that is very cognizant of its impact on the environment And the people that live in the various communities So, in inviting me to deliver introductory remarks I think I want to end by saying That I think the theme is very, very appropriate, very relevant And it is something which I think will excite all of us As we speak about the various components of it Thank you very much Thank you so much, Mr. Minister It's great to hear of the government's commitment to sustainable tourism And to our country That's so, that's so much part of our identity Yes, as a country So thank you so much for those introductory remarks And we will now hear the airing of the World Tourism Day jingle Thank you so much for that That was the... We will probably hear it again towards the end of the programme There is a video to go along with it So we will get to the World Tourism Day jingle in a moment But we return to our panel here And I think the Minister's introductory remarks will lead us into the conversation That we will be engaging in now on the theme Tourism and green investments And I saw Mr. Mathrin nodding quite a bit When the Minister was making his comments And I am sure as a representative of SLHTA He welcomed some of those remarks So we will be hearing from Mr. Mathrin in a while So Mr. Minister, we are going to start again with you And we want to give you an opportunity to speak more to the practices How do you plan to promote sustainable tourism practices And green investments in St. Lucia? I know you started off by saying that in all conversations that you have with the investors That it's at the forefront of those conversations But could you speak a little more to how you plan to promote that within your ministry? Well, I think we have some very ambitious plans And I want to start off with some of the developments that will take place Within the policy and legislative framework Because at the end of the day, the practice of what actually happens Must stem from what the law says should happen And that's the authority for the action that you will take And in our next piece of legislation that will come to parliament Which is the Tourism Development Bill Which will become an overarching piece of legislation That will guide the development of tourism for the next few years We are deliberately including in that piece of legislation Provisions that will push investment towards green investment So when you look at the concessions that have been historically given to investors The present tourism stimulus act would say you get X amount of years exemption for income tax For, you know, different aspects of exemption of that on accommodation And what not on billing materials for accommodation What we say now is that when you apply for concessions There will be some principles that you have to follow That will decide what other level of concessions you get So, for example, everybody might start off at a base of 40% But for you to get another 10% You must assure us that you have a commitment to sustainable development To the use of green energy To get another 10% You have to assure us that you are committed to training your staff To get another 10% You are committed to better wages for your staff So, go on a days when persons can just get 100% exemptions We now, everybody starts off at a base But for you to get the higher levels of investment You must commit to certain principles One of those principles is green investments That you have to show that your investment will be in keeping With a sustainable development policy And for us that's important So all developers from now who can demonstrate a commitment Will get more incentives than previously allowed And more than others who are not showing the same level of commitment And that's important And the second one is You're actually going to be under the legislation Awarding sustainable development certificates So, again, when you have shown the ministry You've had head to a charter of actions That are defined by us Together with the other stakeholders SLHTA and other stakeholders Your property can be issued this Which is something that you can prominently display To let your guests know that you are committed To sustainable development of the tourism industry And of course that will allow you to get You know, the extra incentives that we spoke about So we are going to be requiring investors To actually, for you to benefit From the concessions and incentives To make a commitment to that Of course government is going to also And has started to provide exemptions For persons who are using, say for example solar energy You know, you don't pay duties You don't, you get exemptions For persons who want to use recycling of water Grey water, usage, whatnot There will be special incentives for you Because you are adhering to those practices So for us, it is really important that we Cause the legislation to speak of those benefits And for us these are significant strides That will be made Thank you so much, Mr. Minister You spoke quite a bit about the legislative aspect I want to throw it out to your DPS now To see if there are any other policies Or regulatory changes that are made In keeping to that theme Well I want to say that as a Ministry of Tourism We have recognized the importance of sustainability Today I think we've just basically Put everything together So as far back as 2005 From a policy perspective We have recognized that sustainability The tourism sector must be managing a sustainable manner And for us this is really articulated As it relates to the community ownership And participation in the tourism sector Which is very critical For sustainability to actually occur So one, it recognizes that our community Must be able to benefit substantive Not just participating but owning And we have the community tourism program Which is now being launched So apart from the aspect of community involvement It also looks at maintaining Or preserving our natural resources So as far back as 2005 We got it right And I think today is just basically a continuation And cementing in terms of our approach To maintaining that level of sustainability Approximately two years ago We also, from a strategic perspective Our tourism strategy and action plan Also articulated clearly sustainability As the core for tourism development So we actually identified clearly What those objectives were And the objectives spoke consistently To community ownership, levels of entrepreneurship And environmental sustainability Which brings us to our new investments So we have recognized this from Decades ago And we have continued to So our approach is basically to ensure That our community is The benefit from tourism in a sustainable manner And that the benefits accrue To as many as possible And also of course Because tourism depends on the environment We must maintain the integrity of the environment Ensure that our resources are preserved In a sustainable manner Thank you so much for that And you segue nicely into our CEO for community tourism So Ms. Nardin Can you then tell us How is your agency working to ensure That the local communities are actively participating Benefiting and taking advantage Of some of the regulatory changes That are put in place So the community tourism agency Is the agency dedicated to enhancing lives Within the communities The local communities And we do that by creating Authentic sanitation experiences That will travel us that they can enjoy So how do they participate Which is the big question They participate The agency provides support services To sanitation within the various communities Who want to create authentic Sanction experiences How do we do that By providing funding and financing support So you can get loans And grants through the agency The interest rates are very, very attractive They are between one to three percent There's a loan and a grant component So if you want to create an experience Within your community There's a loan and a grant component That you can get We provide capacity training So we train Persons within the communities As it pertains to the relevant topics As it pertains to All of the things they need to do For them to have those successful enterprises There is operational support That they provide as well So the agency has all of those support services We've identified all of those support services Sorry that they need For them to aspire The other things that we do We do a lot of engagement within the communities As it pertains to consultations Talking to them Because community tourism Is really from the bottom up So we engage the communities a lot We find out what it is You know that they're interested in We involve them in the decision Making process And so that's how they participate in them So have you found that Many of the community-based Tourism facilities Are moving towards more eco-friendly Type facilities? Yes So we've been on the ground We've been on the ground in all of the communities For some reason But not for some reason Miku seems to be the area Miku has been identified For because of Miku's characteristics So we go into the communities And we identify the characteristics And for some reason Miku stands out as it pertains to eco-tourism So as we currently speak in your underground There are a lot of experiences for Miku That are eco-tourism They eco-friendly You're talking about camping You know ecologin and camping sites And all of those experiences I don't want to divulge too many of the ideas I think it's alright there He's very excited But Miku in terms of eco-tourism There are a lot of projects going on in Miku Babonu too is another community That is very... A lot of things are happening in Babonu You talk about the farm-to-table experiences You know going into the farms And keeping the whole environment And all of that going on Sofra is another community Where we have been working alongside And we have been working alongside The Foss Asia community as well And they're making plans In fact in the process of developing The agro-tourism park And so we work alongside them You know to standardize and to make sure They get the training and what it is they need For them to execute their project So there are quite a few green investments Going on green projects And community-tourism is pretty much Equivalent to green Wow And we will not leave out The Senushe Hotel and Tourism Association Because I am sure he's saying We play our part as well So let me give you an opportunity to represent Your organization and the membership within there In terms of how they are contributing To sustainability Well I'll tell you I feel a little jealous Because when you hear community-tourism And what they're doing And we were there as a partner The SLHTA as a leading HTA in the region Has and continues to lead in that regard I listened to minister As he articulated the areas In which incentives are going to be granted Let me tell you SLHTA we have been far way ahead of that decades ago And how do we support We are partnering with international agencies Like YR which is an international sustainable tourism Entity with considerable repute We have promoted the elimination of Single use plastics At various of our establishments Even during the Covid period In the height of the Covid period You'll see some of our members Being heralded For taking the initiatives to eliminate Plastic single use plastics Our restaurant Our independent restaurants as an example We conducted and programmed among our team members As well as engaging our visitors and our clients In having behaviors Engaging in behaviors That promote energy consumption Reduce of course Sorry To reduce energy consumption The increased use of energy efficient technologies For example the use in our refrigerations Air condition units Energy saving lighting Smart room keys All of those activities that enable A reduction in energy consumption Our establishment, our accommodations And also our service providers have been involved I've been engaged in doing that And that's over decade Over decade Since at least since I've been at leadership Of the SLHTA With segregation and property And separating plastics From biodegradable organics That is something that is ongoing With SLHTA and its membership It's so successful that is That you have individual staff Members of institutions Not just accommodation One I say staff Who are practicing that at home It is interesting to go to the software region And community tourism I assume will pick up from that one And you see biodegradable matter Functioning as decor And even while they biodegrade They act as fodder to the biosphere So that is a testament to the SLHTA's Input and attributes As a matter of fact I'll tell you I've been in the hospitality industry since 1989 And what I have seen They have properties in St. Lucia Who remain green even in the dry season Why? Because they're able to use And recycle grey water And some of us Myself included are actually practicing that So we have been engaged in it It is a heartfelt gratitude to the government To recognize and realize that And we see our members continuing to play its part With community tourism and with government In promoting those sustainable practices Thank you so much for that Mr. Minister, I'll return to you In terms of all that you have heard That the Hotel and Tourism Association Is doing with their membership What we plan to do with community tourism And even what you have said In terms of the strategies How do you see that fitting into The broader sustainable development Goals of the country? Well, I think it fits in nicely Because they probably have two sectors That have the greatest impact On the environment Agriculture and tourism When you consider for this upcoming cruise season We'll probably have over 700,000 Cruise passenger arrivals 700,000 people stomp in their feet About Saint Lucia Has an impact on the economy If you think about a couple hundred thousand Just visiting our beaches For beach days Of course the beach boys will make money They rent chairs People selling pizza all by the beach You know, selling barbecue So money is circulating But there's an impact on the environment Waste generation of waste Just the carbon footprint is significant So tourism does have a massive impact The resort, the hotel plants The cruise arrivals And people moving about in the waterfalls The rivers, zip lining Grosly Friday nights, you know I mean, it has an impact on the environment And therefore we have the broader Sustainable Development Goals As outlined by the UN And therefore we have to make sure That in those everyday practices We ensure that we also keep the broader commitments We have to those goals I mentioned agriculture But for obvious reasons We know the impact agriculture has On the environment There's a use of pesticides, fertilizers What not and, you know Cutting of bush and what not So one can plant whatever But we seem not to focus so That tourism has a massive impact The amount of vehicles That taxis that are carrying people are wrong The amount of rentals that are in place I mean, the car rental companies Expanding rapidly in St. Lucia Because people want to rent vehicles So move around So it has an impact And we have to be very conscious If you look at the data from Lucilek You will see the percentage Of consumption of electricity in this country How significant the hotel plants are Within that is a very significant percentage Actually used by hotels AC units running every day Lights on all nights I mean, they do have a dramatic effect The use of fossil fuel Because our electricity is still generated By the use of diesel So how do we again We move into the direction where We start saying to new investors In the tourism sector If you want to build a hotel Tell us what percentage will be Clean energy We cannot go back to Developers coming building new plants in St. Lucia And totally dependent on Lucilek And the use of fossil fuel Because that will not help us meet Our sustainable development goals, our SDGs So we have to start saying to developers You have to tell us what's your plan Have grey water What's your plan for the use of grey water And we are engaging them in that kind of dialogue And there are a couple of developers who say Okay, we want to put a plant nearby And we have to ask them I mean, what are you going to do In terms of environmental action You know, is there a mangrove nearby What can you do to enhance it Because even your guest now Wants to visit the mangrove Because the new generation Especially, I think they call The new generation, alpha Generation alpha or whatever These are people that are taking the environment More seriously than previous generations ever did And there are visitors now When they are booking They actually want to see What's the environmental review Of that result or that hotel They actually want, you know And the properties that can boost now Of their commitment to environmental sustainability Actually have become in preferred choices Because the generation that is more affluent Now that's traveling Actually want to know What is your environmental policy And your practices And therefore, properties are now finding out That having those programs as their properties Actually makes them more attractive When they can see to a guest That the seasoning that you're going to be using I'm eating because of the tomatoes or whatever Actually grown by the hotel In a yard at the back there And you can visit it and see it for yourself And maybe even help us pick the tomatoes For the chef to use for lunch today For them, that's an experience And they want to know that That they are eating organic The farm to table experience that we speak of So we even have a developer now Who's actually buying extra land Just to start a hotel farm So the guest knows that Some of what they're eating actually Is grown by the hotel itself And those things are making Those properties more attractive But it also fits in with our desire To have a more sustainable tourism industry And for us to meet our overall SDGs And keeping in that vein Vain Madam DPS In terms of our broader sustainable development goals How is your ministry collaborating With government agencies And even non-governmental agencies To integrate sustainability Into tourism policy making? Thank you Madam Chair Before we actually move on to this question I want to acknowledge the response By our CEO from the CTA Regarding how they engage the community I want to add as well that Not only ensuring that the benefits Accrue to the community But I think what is important Is measuring the impact And for us from a policy perspective This is also key In terms of assessing Regularly assessing the benefits And ensuring that the impacts To the community is actually meaningful So I'm very happy to hear about The level of consultation and engagement For us this is also very important So I wanted to address that Minister spoke about the whole issue Of the taxi and transportation And the environmental footprint That some of those activities Would have on the environment And from a ministry standpoint And I go back to policy Our strategy is in terms of Assessing utilising the capacity As an area for determining the Level or extent of activities That should actually take place Within any defined area And I can say that for us Within the transportation sector For land-based and marine-based activities It is actually the approach That we are taking To utilise to undertake a study Rather that would assess The capacity for a particular area That would determine The extent to which activity is recreational Whether it's in the water Your taxi drivers Your vessels And the impact on the environment So we are actually utilising that To determine the extent To which activities can be regulated So I really wanted to plug this in In terms of the collaboration With our stakeholders It is very key in the sustainability Because we really cannot do it Without our partners And this is pretty much Why we are here today As a matter of fact For celebration of World Tourism Day The week of September 24th We will be hosting a policy round table So that is actually A mirror And strengthen our commitment Our collaboration with ministries With the ministers rather From a policy perspective They will have the opportunity to dialogue On matters pertaining to Tourism development How do we marry Tourism development, sustainability And the green investments So this is one such way Which is a very important event for us So please note that on your calendar We also Engage, as we speak about sustainability principles And the whole issue of Recognising businesses That demonstrate a certain level of Environmental proficiency We recognise that You must have principles As the minister said If you are going to invest You are going to demonstrate That I meet a certain level of environmental Responsibility What are the guidelines? And one of the agencies That are very important in that process Is the Bureau of Standards And we will be working very closely In fact, we have begun that process In working with them in terms of Identifying what those guidelines are I also want to share that As part of this collaboration The ministry believes that Establishing committees Is very key to that process And I want to bring up The establishment of our Tourism Advocacy Council Which seeks to do just that And so we have agencies That have representation The interests of environmental sustainability The economic aspect Because we know that Sustainability not only rests On the environmental But the economic aspects As well as the social So these are some of the ways In which we have We tend to collaborate And we are collaborating With our agencies to make sure That this sustainability Our agenda is actually Achieving that area Now I want to remain on that theme This guide of the broader Sustainable Development Goals When we talk about cleaner water Minister has alluded to Economic growth Filtering down to the community So can you speak to again The contribution of the community To our broader sustainable Environment? I think community tourism Is actually the strategy In my humble opinion I think community tourism Is actually the strategy You know to achieve In Senucia's sustainable The broader objectives What community tourism Community tourism Forsters ownership And it also ensures That it also forces It has ownership and also It makes Senucia's responsible Within their communities Right? And I think in doing that You're creating stewards Because they are responsible For their destiny Their destination I also think if Well, by way of community tourism The economic benefits And the social benefits And all of that If we can Have those benefits You know equitable You know among all of the communities And Senucia We are creating A virtuous cycle of growth And preservation So that's how I see The community tourism Sir, for Henry? Yes Thank you so much for that Mr. Mathareff We move to you now And again we're looking at that We want to find out Where you can provide examples Of sustainable tourism initiatives That have really garnered International attention Yeah? In keeping with You know sustainable development goals That's global What is it that That we have done in Senucia To garner that international attention And increase Tourism interest in Senucia? You know this morning when I read When I was thinking of the number of initiatives That the SLHT has participated in There were so many that That I decided to just leave it to them Because I wouldn't know what to tell you The SLHT And this is one I'm exceedingly proud of I was part of it when it was initiated The SLHT facilitated the trade of Over one million dollars In locally produced agricultural crops Simply on a WhatsApp platform And that was aimed at optimizing The purchase of fresh fruits and vegetables From our local farmers That was taken over That got a lot of interest By the international community And I was saying to my CEO this morning We need to write on the success of this We need to take this up We had the SLHT conducted a very popular Land fish derby competition We had several of them We had land fish culinary competition as well When the challenge presents itself We saw this as an opportunity So we hosted these events Alongside local entities Like the Dive Association That has got us so much support That you have international dive fraternities now Continuing to be eagerly interested In the St. Lucia Dive product Because we are so active in that regard The SLHT is a founding partner Of the St. Lucia National Conservation Fund And it continues to perform admirably As one of the leading partners for that fund Coral restoration projects Have garnered a lot of international support And enthusiastic support as well From our local environment But it has also played a role in identifying St. Lucia As a preferred dive destination The use of local ingredients in our cuisine Is something that is cliche And that continues to resonate globally As a matter of fact Only last week I was speaking with Some of my Jamaican counterparts Who were showing admiration On the local HDA for its focus And concentration on green energy And green preservation And sustainability functions So yes, there's a lot that I can talk about But these are zero-enlightened in ones Thank you so very much And it looks like these things Will take us into the future Once we are able to sustain And keep implementing them So I wanted to move now To some final comments From each of our panelists Again, we will give the minister The first vote at it Or should we come to you last, Mr. Nair? I think you should close the mic Let's re-verse it So Ms. Gardner, we will come to you So in the context of our theme Of tourism and green investment And in the context of us Getting ready to celebrate World Tourism Day Speak from your perspective To what you would like to see For the future As it regards your community tourism As it regards your community tourism For the future I would love to see that when we Advertise Senusia futuristically That we can actually zone in And zoom in on all of the communities In Senusia To zone in and zoom in on The experiences that we have created That are environmental friendly And in my closing words would be I would want us to get to a point where Senusia becomes the model that the world Wants to emulate as it pertains to sustainable tourism Mr. Mathura, to introduce you Green investment in tourism Means marrying community with heritage Marrying community with culture I think the continuous focus By stakeholders, government, private sector Community agencies To focus on developing, preserving Communal assets This will identify St. Lucia As a premier destination Among the clutter and noise of tourism marketing If we are to stand out There has to be that ethos That marriage and ethos Green tourism investment The community, its culture, its people And how we preserve Without damage, continuously damaging the environment We have to continue to create a biosphere and ecosystem In which everyone can have ownership And responsibility Becoming custodians to the environment that we live in Great final words and I guess Being recipients of those two awards As the minister said at testament to that Absolutely So we have to continue We have to maintain those awards and add to them So the next time the table probably Would have enough space to hold them Let me move now to our deputy permanent secretary In the ministry of tourism, Sadams Yes, so for us Attracting, continue to attract Pay attention to rather The community's benefit from tourism is key I think local economic development for us Is at the core of sustainability Our tourism industry depends on the environment And so ensuring that our businesses Not just the hotels But you know all facets All within the value chain That businesses appreciate, recognize And they aspire to demonstrate That level of environmental proficiency Is where we certainly want to go And we have already created that environment Through our new legislation And incentivizing businesses So for us, ensuring that the levels of entrepreneurship And the quality of the environment Is continuously preserved That is certainly where we want to see moving forward Thank you Mrs. Sadams Can we close with the honorable minister? Well, like I said when I started off There is an inherent logic in the film If we start off saying that We are concerned about the environment The impact that man has On the environment And our concern for the future And the need for sustainability And then you have tourism Which is the fastest growing economic activity And certainly in St. Boucher The largest contributor to our GDP How do we resolve this Concern for the future Preservation of the environment What not And yet expanding economic activity And the way forward really is to say Further investments must be green investments Those investments must take into account Respect for the environmental The fundamental principles and practices Which will ensure that we You know, we preserve as much as possible And so they conserve what has to be conserved So I think the way forward as we We plan for the next decade or so Is to ensure that investments that we attract And the practices that we have are green Meaning that they adhere to The fundamental principles of Environmental sustainability And of course the point that has Also been made as it relates to community tourism Which really is tourism At the community level At the level of the individual And the gathering And away from the result-based experiences That too has to adhere to those principles Because if we say we want people to move From result-based experiences To community-based experiences The community must reflect That respect for the environment And adhering to those same principles So our visitors can claim That throughout the experience in the country It is an experience that is respectful Of the environment and the impact That we have on the environment So I think we have We are going on a very good road in St. Lucia There's a lot that we see happening around us That reflect that concern of the environment And it is now for us at a policy level To enshrine that requirement for investments In the tourism sector to be Green investment and collectively Commit ourselves to the broader SDGs And of course ensure that we have a future Because I say very often that The waterfalls, the rivers, the mountains Is the collective heritage of the St. Lucia people It doesn't belong to any hotel here It doesn't belong to any poor operator But these are assets we have And for those assets that have longevity We need to preserve it and we need to respect it And treat it in a manner Where it can be safeguarded for future generations So definitely it starts with us Yes, yes, and our policies Thank you so much all of our panelists For this discussion We've come to the end of the panel discussion On the theme of tourism and green investments And now we will move to the unveiling Of the calendar of events for tourism week Yes, to launch tourism day 2023 And we have Ms. Samantha Charles Who is an officer in the Ministry of Tourism To do the other things, Charles Thank you, thank you Madam moderator Good morning to minister and the rest of the panel Good morning to ladies and gentlemen So on behalf of the Ministry of Tourism It is with pleasure that I formally announce The calendar of events in celebration of World Tourism Day Which is September 27th Our calendar of events actually Commends on Sunday 24th September With a church service where tourism officials Will join the Barbonneau parish in reverence As we, you know, as with anything else You have to thank God and put him in the forefront So we will commence the week of activities With a church service at the Barbonneau Good Shepherd Parish Following this on Monday, September 25th The community tourism takes forefront And will focus on the community of Miku As Ms. Gard indicated Where we will have a day in Miku So that initiative will target A number of community tourism partners in Miku And get from them the experience With community tourism and the type of product That they offer to visitors within that particular space On the 26th of September, Tuesday 26th Mrs. Adams actually brought up that one We will be hosting a tourism policy roundtable Which will comprise ministers of government On discussion in relation to the theme Tourism and Good Investment And their respective policies And how it aligns with that particular theme That event will be live broadcast So ladies and gentlemen, please look out For that particular event On September 27th, World Tourism Day Wednesday, September 27th This activity is actually our flagship event And the primary activity for the week This activity is a culinary showdown Season and unseasoned Where we will be pairing young culinary talent With experienced industry chefs As they prepare a menu of delicious items I should say Using locally grown ingredients And along the lines of green investment sustainability We really push for that linkage Between tourism and agriculture And we felt what better way To have our young persons Who are really looking for a future In the culinary field To showcase their talent And go up against the big guns, so to speak So that activity will take place on Wednesday On the 28th of September, Thursday 28th This is another signature activity Which we dubbed Blaze in Blue Persons might be wondering why the panel Is dressed in various shades of blue So blue is actually the official color Of World Tourism Day Set by the UNWTO It has not changed for years So on that day it is really a call to action For the general public Everyone to wear blue From fishermen to our craft vendors Our parliamentarians Our supermarket employees Bankers, doctors, lawyers, whomever It's a day for everyone to wear blue And join us in solidarity As we focus on the theme Tourism and green investments Moving on to the 29th Friday 29th Another very important activity Which really emphasizes The relevance of the theme And its importance to tourism We will be airing Our industry perspectives Documentary So that documentary Will feature six businesses That have integrated sustainable And innovative practices Into their operations So the groundwork had already started On that particular initiative And on that day That documentary will be aired I won't give the name of the operation So you know Persons just need to look forward To that particular date On the 29th Also another call to action For communities to focus On environmental conservation And minister touched on it If you're looking at Green investment And its alignment with tourism The communities need to Take up the mantle to ensure preservation Ensure that the Particular space is a clean one So we are calling on different Community councils etc To undertake a national Beach cleanup Identify a space within your community That is deserving of additional attention And work with the community members To clean it up And make it a little more aesthetically appealing For not just visitors But for locals as well And finally Our culminating activity On Saturday 30th September Is a tourism food sale competition So we're looking at Putting together teams from our Private sector partners Against our public sector partners It's basically a friendly Football game to build camaraderie Among our stakeholders So we have been getting some level Of interest for that particular activity So persons who are watching Please feel free to Contact the Minister of Tourism Find out more information And see how your agency can Come and body that activity So these activities Compride the week Of celebration of World Tourism Day There will be more information Going out to the public As we will be having some Engagements on the media So the specificities Will be made available For the two-todays launch So thank you everybody Thank you so much Ms. Charles Sounds good everyone There's a call for the public To participate It's not just about the Ministry of Tourism And I really like that There's engagement With the nation With community So on Thursday Is in the 20th 20 years To make sure everyone is wearing So we look for the rollout In the media Just to question the documentary Will it be airing on NTN? Yes so NTN will Officially air it And of course the The other media houses Will have the opportunity To air on our behalf as well Yes Great so For me what stands out Is participation This is the onus Is on each of us To be part Of making St. Lucia more sustainable And tourism as we've said Is the mainstay of our economy So we have to play our part And before we take our questions From the media We will once again And listen to the jingle That has been created For World Tourism Day 2023 Thank you Let's skip the natural beauty Of streets that we see Hey Show the world what we create Tourism with care We celebrate Sustainable That's great We call it And you get yourself in My party Sleepy Participate in the week Of activities For tourism week September 24th to 30th Minister That was the jingle Ms. Chasi Won't you tell us a little more About Okay No Sure, no problem So In discussions on how We put together the jingle Which exemplifies the theme The performer really Tried to capture certain elements So it mentions the nation It mentions Keeping our environment clean Which again Aligns with one of our activities It mentioned Fostering more partnership And How should I put it But basically partnership With other Sectors of the economy The tourism stakeholders So the theme in As much as we did not intend for it Sorry, not the theme The jingle We did not intend for it To be too lengthy We tried to capture the key Elements of Tourism and green investment In that Short 30 seconds So hopefully When persons Listen to it They could see the relationship Between The actual theme And The message In the jingle So that In a nutshell Was what we tried to Capture In putting the jingle together And I'm happy to see the marriage With the creativity Yes, definitely What's the performer It's actually The winner of Oh my The winner of our I think The clock out the room And nerdy Nerdy, right Yes, nerdy is the one Performing the jingle Performing the jingle And we had the assistance Of Mr. Ace Lockter In putting the lyrics together So acknowledgement Thank you for that For Really showing how We work closely With the creative sector And we will be Engaging them also In heightening Our Activities Like the blazing So we will be Engaging a few of them Yes Okay, great So we look forward To hearing the jingle All over Mr. Mathire Has already Voluntary to promote it On his social media pages Sure Please ensure Thank you, thank you And the media is here And I'm sure they will be Willing to air it as well And at this point We would like to Invite questions From our media partners Who are in studio With us this morning We have a mic If you have anything For us saying That you want to Ask the minister If you recognize Choice Good morning Kishma Saria with ChoiceCB I have three questions And since I'm at the mic I think I might as well Use the opportunity The first question is to The minister Now with regards to the impact Of climate change On the Caribbean region We have established that We contribute to less than 1% But of course We feel the impacts Mostly really And of course the fragility Of our economy As a result Do you think that incentivizing The investors As it relates to Sustainable practices Like you mentioned The 10% less Do you think that is sufficient Or should we have something That is absolute As it relates to Sustainability From those investors Where there are things That you absolutely Have to do as opposed to Incentivizing That's a good question Whether you use the big stick Or use the carrot I mean in our case You know it is not law That you cannot do certain Things in the country I mean we can pass a law Where you say Nobody should use Fossil fuel There should be no fossil fuel Incentive anymore But that's not the law The law is such that You apply to low select You get a connection And you have your electricity That's not the law But that's what pertains In Saint Lucia If we are saying We want people to use Less fossil fuel And more clean energy Then we have to incentivize them To do it Because the provision now Is that you apply to low select To get your power Unless we decide We are not going to have A low select And everybody must use Solar power That's what it is So if we want to Try and persuade you To use less fossil fuel Generated energy And more clean energy We need to incentivize you That's how we see it So the good practices We want people to undertake We want to incentivize them And encourage them to do so But what you're saying is It applies in certain countries Certain countries pass absolute laws That you cannot do this Is a crime to do it But I don't think we are That's it And that's not the nature Of our society I think we tend to Want to incentivize people first Okay My next question is to Ms. Garn As it relates to community tourism I remember the minister saying That the whole idea was for ownership For persons to feel like they were They were part of the tourism So to speak As it relates to continuity Because we do have unfortunately Slending to what is in it for me As human beings I don't specifically mean Us as solutions So even the ideas And the suggestions that came For new incentives And new projects coming through Like you mentioned with Miku Shout out to Miku That's where we're from And eco developments But the persons who are not Directly involved in those How do you get them to understand That this directly impacts you Because we know the issue We have with litter We know the issue we have with flooding We know the issue with our Clog, culvets, etc. How do you now on a mental level Get that shift For everybody to recognize That this is directly impacting us Whether or not you have an eco village Good question I think in our drive The community tourism agency Will have to embark as well On education And some public awareness As it pertains to All of us being a part of it Like moderator rightfully said All of us being a part of Of us being successful As it pertains to the Community tourism initiative So I think education And public relations Will be a very important part If this is going to work We would need to go in that route as well And my final question For Madam DPS Miss Adams You mentioned that the area That you spoke heavily on was policy And the calendar of events Did speak to various agencies Coming together As it stands now In terms of education Is there any plans for climate change To be taught in tourism Because we usually get into these areas Post primary, post secondary Yet it is so directly And heavily impacting us So why aren't we teaching our children About climate change Outside of ads And I mean on a regular Consistent as part of the curriculum We've been advocating strongly for tourism To be taught in schools Recognizing the importance Of tourism as an economic activity For decades now The ministry has worked with the education sector And so in cooperating There has been some success in that And I will say that there is A lot of room for improvement In terms of engaging the education sector The schools So I think Including climate change Related issues Would certainly have to be As part of that agenda In terms of creating that awareness Among the schools So I will say that the ministry's Approach in terms of ensuring that Education is at a forefront Education on the importance of tourism The issues of climate change We speak about environmental sustainability Because sustainability Is not just your social But also environment So in ensuring that you inculcate That appreciation to the students It would have to incorporate These types of issues As part of the agenda For training in tourism Or creating that understanding In tourism We recently had a Tourism, national tourism Speaking competition And so this is also an avenue For engendering that awareness And association of tourism So this is one of the avenues That we can utilize In ensuring that climate change issues are addressed There's that understanding of sustainability As a whole And so we, I believe Students have the opportunity to discuss Tourism related issues So it will also mean that There will have to be some level of research Engagement Understanding of the topics So there have been avenues And I would think that We just need to strengthen our approach In that area Do you think it would make your job easier If say 5, 10, 15 years from now You don't have to tell students about So should we now speak to Mr. Edward? Indeed, indeed Thank you so much Do we have any other questions? It's good day to all Reginald Andrew from the Voice Publishing Now, my question would be Something similar along the lines Of awareness, education One of the panelists spoke about The importance of taking tourism From the ground But in the broader picture With this emphasis on the blue economy And now eco-tourism Eco-tourism is a sustainability thing The minister you mentioned The minister you mentioned Certificates And you're getting the certificate Eco-tourism What I was thinking of is With the tourism In the hospitality industry And school For our company For the hospitality school So for the good Certificate then Would students be able to Incorporate this eco-tourism Drive into the current curriculum As my colleague mentioned In the school So would it be something Of a certificate Of something of a standard That we can achieve In the same way we could impact In the community So would it be something Of an organization? The certificate I spoke about Really is a certificate That would be given to Properties Whether it is A site at all A hotel And it's a statement that They are adhering To some sustainable development Principles and practices But you are right I think the question was asked earlier By the reporter who came before you The necessity for us To teach at the secondary school level At least those fundamental principles As it relates to climate change Impact on the environment The whole adherence To sustainable development What does it mean? And it's really about a culture change And the fact that we're seeing A generation You know the generation X And millennials And now alpha generation Having that kind of consciousness Is because of that education That has happened over the years That from I mean a few years ago When it really struck us that The planet was going downhill Rapidly There was massive educational programs Being done And the whole generation is now Growing up very conscious of those issues And it is something that we need To reflect on as a society Whether our younger persons Have the same level Of sensitization And education on those issues I mean you drive from Cassius to Vufort And you look along the roadside And you see all the litter That's thrown out of vehicles I mean there are no houses No way nearby But you see all the litter So not dogs or cats that brought them there Somebody will throw it out of there But you can even recall I don't know how many of you Are old enough to remember that A few years ago when Romanos Lancik was Minister of Tourism Yes In St. Lucia I'm sure you'll remember that I mean it had gotten so bad They actually had litter wardens It's called a polyzony And whatnot To virtually arrest people For littering it You just think about that It had gotten that bad Where you employ wardens To arrest people for littering Of course we've gone past that But there's still visible evidence Of disregard Certainly as it comes to littering And the disposal of waste I almost ask the question What do we do now There is a fear of Thinking that If we keep cleaning it up Eventually realize it is senseless To litter and the practice will stop There's that fear To arrest them and put them in jail Or charge them and ticket them What not Whatever it is We need to have a greater sensitization Towards our environment And issues of climate change And I think the question was asked We are negligible contributor To carbon emission Negligible contributor But we are one of the biggest sufferers of it I mean you just had to go to Marigold Beach And just see the sub La Basin See what's happening there And other parts of the Caribbean And other parts of the world The Maldives and those places Where it's real The climate change So we need to be sensitive towards it We need to have environmentally friendly practices And we need to teach our children about that So you are right It's not even so much a certificate It's just the process of sensitization In schools So certain environmental clubs in schools You know to just educate the generation That we need to preserve the planet It's all that we have As a civilization, as humanity And that we need to preserve it And just briefly You mentioned that There will be loans and grants To prospects And businesses that want to get involved In the tourism industry Now in terms of categories You know we have bed and breakfast We have vendors We have fishermen We have cottage industries We need to be able to guide them Specializing in a significant way Rather than just have eyes But then specialize in the city In the adults Of service to the clients Good question The sectors that we are specializing in Is actually restaurants and bars Accommodation and experiences So these are the three areas That we are specializing in At the moment The areas of focus Do you get the sense Of various walks of life Young people Yes Yes So we've been on the road We've been to the various communities And I'm happy to say that We are getting persons From every community One We're getting persons from all walks of life To answer to your question The balance is really good Male-female Male-female And in line with the concept of life Existing throughout the entire The length and breadth of the country Yes Any other questions? I think I need to Wait for my camera to get back To close off Yes today Members of the media Thank you so much as we witness the launch of World Tourism Day 2023 with the agencies responsible leading the Ministry of Tourism, Investment, Creative Industries, Culture and Information, as well as the St. Lucia Hospitality and Tourism Association, the Community Tourism Agency and Investors in Lucia. It has been a pleasure being here with you for the launch of World Tourism Day 2023 and the importance of that on Wednesday the 27th of September is to spread awareness of the importance of tourism and its impact on society and that is where we all have to play our part. So, look forward to the calendar of activities starting from the 24th of September from the Ministry of Tourism and its partner agencies and thank you so much for joining us. My name is Natsumi Juni-Vanas signing off. 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