Basseterre, St. Kitts, March 30, 2022 (SKNBS): Urgent quality improvements in the tourism sector are now closer to becoming reality, thanks to a national dialogue between sector stakeholders and quality institutions in St Kitts and Nevis held this week.
The Saint Kitts and Nevis Bureau of Standards (SKNBS), in collaboration with CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality (CROSQ), hosted a one-day workshop entitled “National Dialogue between the national quality infrastructure and the tourism sector in the Saint Kitts and Nevis” on Tuesday March 29th, 2022, at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort.
The SKNBS is currently participating in CROSQ’s implementation of the 11th European Development Fund (EDF) Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Programme, “Support to CARIFORUM States in furthering the implementation of their Economic Partnership Agreement Commitments and in meaningfully reaping the benefits of the Agreement.” One of the core activities in this project aims at institutionalizing a dialogue forum between national Quality Infrastructure (QI) institutions, regional QI networks and the private sector. In Saint Kitts and Nevis, such a dialogue forum was developed with the tourism sector. (A similar exercise was conducted with the agriculture sector in 2015).
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mrs. Jasemin Weekes, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of International Trade et al, stated that the national dialogue with the tourism sector was symbolic.
“It signals that we are in fact serious in making our tourism and related services sector more competitive,” she said. “After all, the tourism sector is a vital foreign exchange earning product for the Federation.”
She noted that with the slow but promising resumption of tourism sector services in the federation, it will require urgent and strategic quality improvement, adding that the national dialogue is therefore “timely and augers well for the tourism sector.”
Also speaking at the opening, Mr. Deryck Omar, CEO of CROSQ, said that timing of the event was crucial, as St. Kitts and Nevis is in the process of enhancing and expanding its tourism sector and the concurrent development of its QI.
“This represents a great opportunity to develop a QI that is relevant, current, and meeting the specific needs of the tourism sector,” he said. “This national dialogue forum comes at a time when the world is talking about quality in all aspects of our day-to-day living, and where the global demands are there for stricter adherence to standards and less tolerance for errors as it relates to the quality of the land and marine-based products. It is expected that this dialogue will increase awareness and understanding within the sector of the importance of standards and quality to making your businesses more competitive.”
In her keynote address, Mrs. Carlene Henry-Morton, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, stated that her ministry welcomes the opportunity to share its ideas about how they can partner with stakeholders for sustainable development outcomes to raise standards across the board and that they would want to use those standards to enhance the profile of the destination, which will add value to every guest experience, boost the country’s appeal, add to its charm and competitiveness.
“This national dialogue is a call to action, a coming together of the critical stakeholders, the key players, for us to engage each other in lively discussions, to listen to each other’s ideas, to share our concerns, our plan and to talk about the collective vision we have for present, and future of this very transversal sector called tourism,” she said.
At the end of the national dialogue an action plan was developed, which will enable the QI institutions to support the tourism sector in effectively increasing and providing good quality service and products, while meeting the requirements of the market.
-End-
About 11th EDF-TBT Project
Implementation of the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Component of the 11th European Development Fund (EDF) Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) Programme started in September 2019. It is funded by the European Union, through the CARIFORUM Directorate, managed by the German National Metrology Institute (PTB) and jointly implemented by the PTB, CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards & Quality (CROSQ) and the Dominican Institute for Quality (INDOCAL).
The overall 11th EDF-EPA Programme’s objective is to contribute to the integration of the CARIFORUM into the world economy with the specific objective to facilitate the effective operation of the EPA. One means of ensuring the EPA provides the intended benefits to CARIFORUM States is through the improvement of trade and competitiveness by reducing TBTs, through a modernized national and regional Quality Infrastructure. The TBT Component aims to contribute to the Programme’s overall and specific objectives by increasing the use of internationally recognised Regional Quality Infrastructure (RQI) by the regional and national quality institutions and by the private sector. Benefits include the identification and closing of quality gaps in key sectors and organisations; the promotion of a quality culture in the region; and, the strengthening of the RQI.
Beneficiary Countries: Caribbean Forum of ACP States (CARIFORUM) and Montserrat: Antigua & Barbuda – The Bahamas – Belize – Dominica – Dominican Republic – Grenada – Guyana – Haiti – Jamaica – Montserrat – Saint Lucia – Saint Vincent and the Grenadines – Saint Kitts and Nevis – Suriname – Trinidad and Tobago
