OECS developing common tourism policy

The states of the eastern Caribbean will be pooling their resources for a common tourism thrust.

CASTRIES, St Lucia, Thursday, March 1, 2012 – Tourism officials across the eastern Caribbean have been putting their heads together to come up with a collective plan to guide the development of the sector.

The pace has been set by leaders across the sub-region, who have called for a speedy completion of the new tourism policy that is to be part of the Growth and Development Strategy for the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).

This initiative was a result of the 54th Meeting of the OECS Authority held at the start of the year wherein the heads of government endorsed the common tourism policy as a guide for collective action geared to the development of tourism in the OECS Economic Union, as well as the establishment of a regional consultative process in the OECS involving the public and private sector.

On a wider scale, the government heads also endorsed the establishment of a regional consultative process in the OECS involving the public and private sector to articulate and drive an agenda focused on recovery, growth and development for the region over the next two to five years.

The leaders directed that this process should entail consideration of detailed proposals and approaches for a consultative Forum for public/private sector engagement and collaboration to help consolidate gains from the OECS Economic Union. They called for the task to be completed in time for the 56th Meeting of the Authority in November this year.

The 55th Meeting of the OECS Authority will be convened on May 17-18, 2012 in St Vincent and the Grenadines under the chairmanship of Prime Minister, Dr Ralph Gonsalves.

Coming out of the January meeting, further emphaisis has been placed on the operationalisation of the OECS Economic Union, including finalising legislative and other arrangements relating to implementation of the Revised Treaty of Basseterre; operationalisation of the organs of the Union including the Councils, the Commission, and the Regional Parliamentary Assembly; and financing of the Secretariat/Commission and the Economic Union. Click here to receive free news bulletins via email from Caribbean360. (View sample)