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| "By this historic and momentous occasion, our federation is signaling to our tourism industry partners and the rest of the world, our serious commitment and our willingness to redefine ourselves as a tourist destination and to find the most profound ways to build and expand this very vital sector of our economy," said Dr Douglas, who is also the country's Minister of Tourism. (File photo) | |
BASSETERRE, St Kitts, January 12, 2009 - The St Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister says the twin-island federation is repositioning its tourism industry to make it a force to reckon with in the region.
As the country welcomed Saturday's inaugural weekly British Airway service between London's Gatwick Airport and St Kitts' Robert L Bradshaw International Airport, Dr Denzil Douglas said his administration was working on propelling the twin-island federation to the pinnacle of economic and social development in the Caribbean.
"By this historic and momentous occasion, our federation is signaling to our tourism industry partners and the rest of the world, our serious commitment and our willingness to redefine ourselves as a tourist destination and to find the most profound ways to build and expand this very vital sector of our economy," said Dr Douglas, who is also the country's Minister of Tourism.
He noted that the tourism sector is facing serious difficulties as the world witnesses one of the most severe periods of economic downturn, but the St Kitts leader insisted that the country had to rise above the challenges.
Dr Douglas said that despite the global economic problems, the federation finds itself on the crest of a major tourism development wave. He said this is creating a new period of economic prosperity and economic transformation with major expansion of the tourism product.
He said the new partnership being forged with British Airways will help the country fashion a new dawn for the growing tourism business. Prime Minister Douglas also expressed confidence that this new arrangement will put St Kitts and Nevis firmly on the tourism map.
According to Dr Douglas, St Kitts and Nevis, as a small destination, has taken some bold initiatives and embarked on some very ambitious programmes for increasing airlift into the destination, at a time when there is loss of airlift in the Caribbean.
"We believe therefore that this new service to our destination will offer considerable benefits to all those involved in the tourism industry, as we look to make tourism one of the main pillars of a more diversified economy," he said.
Prime Minister Douglas thanked the management of British Airways for having the confidence in the federation to pursue what he said is a "very ambitious and demanding project".
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