KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent -- In the past 18 months, the island of St.
Vincent and the string of 32 islands and cays that make up the
Grenadines have emerged as "the new kid on the block" in Caribbean
tourism, according to Vera Ann Brereton, director of tourism.
Tourist arrivals from January through June increased 8.4%
year-over-year, to 47,747 visitors, and tourism officials are
hopeful that the increase will carry into 2003.
"The new Tourism Industry Standards Act will include regulations
regarding standards for hotels and the licensing of taxi drivers
and dive operators," Brereton said. "The government has implemented
a national tourism strategic plan for long-term planning
strategies."
St.
Vincent plans to upgrade tourist attractions and develop new sites,
such as nature trails, a new Interpretative Center and the Heritage
Village cultural site.
Other developments include:
• The first 10 members of the Tourist Police task force have
been trained and will be placed at popular tourist sites to cut
down on visitor harassment.
• Visitors now can clear customs and immigration in Barbados and
St. Lucia before arriving in St. Vincent, which helps to
"streamline entry procedures," Brereton said.
• A new cruise-ship terminal is planned, although a cruise
tourism policy will limit the size of vessels and the number of
passengers arriving in the capital of Kingstown.
Cruise traffic dipped 7.9%, to 50,033 passengers, in the first
six months of the year, but new cruise lines calling here for the
first time in 2003 are expected to help boost the numbers.
• An exit survey, begun in 2001 for visitors arriving and
departing by air, will expand to include visitors arriving by
yachts and cruise ships.
• New marketing and promotional efforts will focus on niche
markets, including weddings and honeymoons, culture and heritage,
sailing, diving and nature tourism.
Brereton said that tourism courses will be taught in the local
schools "as an incentive to encourage our youngsters to get into
the industry."
• The destination's Web site, at www.svgtourism.com, will expand
in January to include destination photos and more detailed island
information.
Meanwhile, Brereton said air traffic into the Grenadines is
dependent upon lift into the nearby larger destinations, such as
St. Lucia, Barbados, Grenada and Trinidad and Tobago.
"That traffic then feeds into St. Vincent, but our growth is
limited by the length of the runway at E.T. Joshua Airport in
Kingstown," she said. "The runway cannot be extended into the
water, so we want to upgrade the terminal facilities."