THE OECS AND THE UNWTO FORMALIZE COLLABORATION IN THE TOURISM SECTOR

Castries, September 30, 2014.- The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States and the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) have established a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance cooperation between the two organisations.

Ministers, at a meeting of the OECS Council of Ministers of Tourism held in Dominica in April 2014 which focused on the OECS Tourism work programme, approved the Memorandum of Understanding between the two parties.

The MoU states that the OECS and the UNWTO will cooperate in the implementation of priority areas such as:

- Air service development, through the elaboration of studies geared towards more effectively connecting the OECS with existing and potential source markets. This will include the assessment and implementation of options for expanding visitor arrivals into the OECS and enhancing intra-Caribbean travel, including support to joint negotiation in major source markets or by reducing tariffs on air tickets for inbound international and intra-regional travel.

- Design and implementation of travel facilitation initiatives such as visa processing.

- Establishment of tourism satellite accounts in all OECS Member States.

The OECS Programme Officer for Tourism was in Mexico to join tourism officials from across the globe to observe World Tourism Day 2104. World Tourism Day, the day set aside on the United Nations calendar to celebrate tourism, was observed on the 27th of September.

Celebrated annually, World Tourism Day is the biggest international event in tourism. Its purpose is to foster awareness among the global community of the importance of tourism and its social, cultural, political and economic value.

The event addressed the global challenges outlined in the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and highlight the tourism sector´s contribution to achieving these goals.

UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai noted that as the 2015 deadline approaches for the United Nations Millennium Development Goals and preparations are made to embrace the new Sustainable Development Goals, this year’s World Tourism Day presents an opportunity to further advance tourism’s contribution to economic, social and environmental sustainability. Empowering individuals and communities around the world at all levels through tourism is cited as a fundamental step towards achieving these goals.

The OECS Tourism Desk’s presence at this event will furnish the opportunity to officially commence the dialogue on operationalising the MOU between the OECS and the UNWTO, facilitate the increased contribution of Tourism in the OECS to economic, social and environmental sustainability and foster closer ties between the OECS and Mexico in Tourism.

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