Sustainable Use of our Local Products and Natural Resources

Tourism has long been one of the leading sectors in the world economy and its role is particularly invaluable in Nevis and the wider OECS sub-region. It makes a major contribution to GDP, provides employment to many and is an important factor in shaping our island’s image. As the world continues to evolve and new challenges arise, our tourism industry must adapt. We must allow the tentacles of the tourism industry to extend to various sectors, such as arts and culture, so as to strengthen its diversity and durability, particularly during these turbulent economic times. As the Secretary General of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation, Hugh Riley, recently stated at a CTO Sustainable Tourism Conference, “The relationship between tourism and cultural heritage must be intimate and infinite, especially in the Caribbean which offers an authenticity and diversity that can be found in no other tourism destination.”

One of the primary benefits of developing a synergy between culture, arts and tourism is that it will help to create a more sustainable tourism product. While the sun, sand and sea component of tourism is certainly lucrative, it is also quite fragile, particularly in light of the geographical location of our OECS territories and thus, our resultant vulnerability to hurricanes. Such hurricanes often destroy our beaches and physical infrastructure. A prime example of this was the destruction done to the Four Seasons Resort, Nevis by hurricane Omar in 2008. This resulted in the resort being closed for two years. As a consequence, there was significant reduction in revenue and employees were laid off for an extended period of time. By incorporating a viable cultural and art component, we can provide another avenue for tourism market...

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...ges. To allow tourists a sneak preview of the cultural explosion that awaits them, dancers and performers, including masquerades and “mocko jumbies” should be invited to entertain the visitors. All of this would be part of a “Nevisian-style welcome”. Tourists visiting for the day should also be afforded a heritage package, inclusive of local dialect lessons so they can gain a better understanding of our local culture. This initiative would also help to generate much needed appreciation for our Creole language.

In many ways, culture and arts can serve as a vehicle through which we can unleash the creative potential of our people and propel our tourism industry forward within the context of OECS integration. Our region’s policy makers must therefore make every effort to diversify our tourism product and transform the OECS into a centre of arts and cultural excellence.