27 Nov 2013
A progressive interagency council to improve coordination and build capacity among government departments toward sustainable destination management of St. Kitts
The St. Kitts & Nevis Ministry of Tourism & International Transport has officially launched the Interagency Sustainable Destination Management Council (IASDMC). The first council of its kind in the Caribbean region, the IASDMC is a progressive special advisory body to the Ministry of Tourism & International Transport, founded on the idea that sustainable destination management requires commitment and close collaboration in sustainability across all sectors. The Council will be a driving force for policies and practices that promote local economic growth and community benefits, safeguard and enhance local culture and heritage, and institute overall management systems to protect these valuable community assets and ensure St. Kitts is a thriving destination to both live and visit for many years to come.
The Council is a special advisory body to the Ministry of Tourism & International Transport, and advances the Government’s stated goal of St. Kitts & Nevis “becoming a green economy.” At a brief launching ceremony on Wednesday November 20, 2013, Minister Ricky Skerritt told participants that “It takes a village to build a green economy, and it takes all Government agencies and NGO’s working together on the same page in order to support the sustainability needs of that village.”
The Council’s key objectives, developed during its inaugural meeting, are to:
● Instill sustainable destination management understanding across government departments and ministries;
● Build public sector capacity to incorporate sustainable destination management concerns into their daily operations; and
● Improve communication and coordination among government departments on destination sustainability projects.
To advance their understanding and capacity building objectives, Council members and other destination stakeholders are participating in Sustainable Travel International’s Sustainable Tourism Professionals (STP) Training for Destinations. The STP program’s cutting-edge curriculum features sustainable destination management content developed by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), The George Washington University, and Sustainable Travel International.
In addition to completing STP courses online, IASDMC members along with other destination stakeholders, participated in a full-day training session in Basseterre on sustainable destination management, delivered by Sustainable Travel International. The training featured a special module on sustainability issues in cruise tourism and marine conservation, sponsored by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.’s Ocean Fund. The Council is part of an ongoing partnership between the Ministry of Tourism & International Transport and the NGO Sustainable Travel International.
Last year, St. Kitts & Nevis became one of the first destinations selected to participate in the Global Sustainable Tourism Council’s (GSTC) Early Adopter program. In November 2012, the Ministry of Tourism & International Transport held a stakeholder-driven sustainable tourism action-planning forum, validating GSTC recommendations and identifying priority action projects. In October 2013, St. Kitts also became a founding partner of the Sustainable Destination Leadership Network (SDLN), a network facilitated by Sustainable Travel International, designed for forward-thinking destinations to share best practices and benefit from the latest research on sustainable destination management.
About Sustainable Travel International (www.sustainabletravel.org)
Sustainable Travel International is a non-profit organization with a purpose. We’ve been collaborating with destinations, businesses and travelers to implement innovative sustainable tourism development and conservation solutions since 2002. We combine the mission and transparency of a non-profit NGO with the business acumen and expertise of the private sector, ensuring our partners achieve their desired results and receive a strong return on investment.
About the Sustainable Destination Leadership Network
The Sustainable Destination Leadership Network is the first global collaboration of its kind.
The network is designed to facilitate peer learning and information exchange. Participants work together to tackle salient challenges and embed sustainability into their policies, strategies, day-to-day management, and marketing.
About St. Kitts
Located in the northern Leeward Islands of the Caribbean, St. Kitts offers a diverse tourism product developed from the destination’s natural beauty, cultural heritage and rich history. The island’s stunning variety of tourism attractions include hiking through the tropical rainforest, riding the scenic railway that connects the island’s former sugar plantations, visiting the Caribelle Batik factory, touring Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park, the only man-made UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Eastern Caribbean, and more traditional pastimes such as watersports, golf, shopping, tennis, gourmet dining, or simply relaxing on one of the island’s sandy beaches. Accommodations range from intimate plantation inns to larger hotels and resorts.
St. Kitts and Nevis is currently served twice-weekly on Saturday and Tuesday from London Gatwick by British Airways, the first scheduled carrier to provide regular airlift to the island. The BA aircraft uses a three class, 280 seat Boeing 777 aircraft holding 40 Club World seats, 24 World Traveller Plus and 216 World Traveller seats.
For more information about St. Kitts, please contact the St. Kitts Tourism Authority toll free from the US at 1-800-582-6208 or from Canada 1-888-395-4887, e-mail info@stkittstourism.kn, visit www.stkittstourism.kn, or connect on Facebook, Twitter and/or YouTube.
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Media Contacts:
The St. Kitts Tourism Authority
Cathy Preece / Adams Unlimited / cathy@adams-pr.com / 212-956-5900 (North America)
Deirdre Cumberbatch / River Communications / Deirdre@talktoriver.com / +44 (0) 20 8504 4009 (UK)
Sustainable Travel International
Jeremy Sampson
Senior Director, Marketing and Communications
