Summit of Political & Business Leaders another boost for VI tourism
Currently, the Territory is host to hundreds of delegates for the Rotary 7020 District Conference and the Summit falls right in the middle of this, which sends tourism to an all-time high, something the Primer and Minister of Finance Dr the Honourable D. Orlando Smith is very aware of.
Premier Smith said he is looking forward to the summit as it calls for immediate action in uniting the Caribbean to address the many concerns facing the region’s coastal and marine environments.
The Territory is hosting the summit in conjunction with the Government of Grenada and Virgin Unite, which represents Phase II of the Caribbean Challenge Initiative where governments and business leaders will set a new course for the region’s marine and coastal environment.
There will be participation from the governments of Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The political leaders will be joined by corporate leaders and international partners.
The leaders will pledge actions towards the preservation of the environment. They will acknowledge the importance of the marine environment to the region and to its people. Leaders will come together to pledge their support to ensure that the marine and coastal environment is preserved for future generations.
In speaking of its significance to the Territory, Premier Smith, who is also the Minister for Tourism, said the Summit presents an opportunity for discussion and collaboration on issues surrounding the Territory’s coastal and marine resources and the opportunities available for financing its management.
For years, Premier Smith said, the Territory has been committed to the preservation of the environment and is pleased that it has taken several measures to ensure this path continues into the future. “We have always given priority to preserving our environment through our system of national parks and fisheries protected areas, and this commitment will continue into the future through the expansion of this system of protected areas.”
Dr. Smith explained that the partnership between the National Parks Trust and the marine industry since 1991 has resulted in the continued management and protection of the Territory’s coastal and marine resources through a system of moorings found throughout the Territory. He said partnerships of this nature, which have been forged between public institutions and the business community, are the types which will be fostered and recognised at the summit.
The Virgin Islands Premier also said, “Co-hosting the summit presents the opportunity to promote the Territory from an environmental tourism perspective as we highlight the unique characteristics of the Territory’s marine and coastal environment.”
He added, “The summit will draw attention to the Territory as a prime destination for ecosystem research and will provide an opportunity to announce plans to establish the Virgin Islands’ Climate Change Trust Fund, which will assist to address funding for Climate Change adaptation and mitigation as well as protected areas management and the conservation of the Territory’s biodiversity.”
Deputy Premier and Minister for Natural Resources and Labour, Dr. the Honourable Kedrick D. Pickering is working closely with the Premier and other key stakeholders of the summit and said that his team of environmentalists and conservationists remain committed to the preservation of the Territory’s coastal and marine environment.
Honourable Pickering said, “Government has always placed great emphasis on preserving and protecting its coastal resources given the benefits offered for research, food security and aesthetics.”
He said this summit will present an opportunity for further dialogue on key areas of the environment as Caribbean political leaders and business leaders from around the world collaborate and partner on how to ensure that the marine and coastal environment are protected.
In speaking specifically about the Territory as a hub for environmental research, Honourable Pickering stated, “Research is also key for the Territory. Research enables us to understand the way our natural environment works and how it changes as we interact with it; facilitating more informed decision making. The BVI is a prime area for research for our benefit and that of the wider Caribbean region.”
The Minister for Natural Resources explained that an intern from the University of Amsterdam is currently in the Territory coordinating a survey within the tourism industry as part of a project to determine the economic value of healthy ecosystems for the tourism sector.
“Economic evaluation and assessments give insight into the importance of ecosystems to people,” he said, adding, “We can justify and set priorities for programmes, policies and legislation. Additionally, it allows for more strategic marketing in the tourism sector.
Honourable Pickering further stated that by the end of first quarter of 2014, the Territory should be able to give account for the economic value of the environment.
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
Follow Us On
10 Responses to “Summit of Political & Business Leaders another boost for VI tourism”
Are non-profits invited, the groups that really do the work? Reef Keepers, BVI GREEN, BVI Environmental Council (who kept this premier from destroying Beef Island)? There are so many environmental groups who have good ideas and are in the trenches every single day monitoring silt curtains, erosion, violations to fisheries protected areas and proposed park land. Yet they are not invited so those companies and territories can collaborate on opportunities to "protect" but more likely figure out how to make money. I bet many attendees don't have the training to solve environmental problems because they are all part of the problem.