Nationwide March 19, 2016 (1).Pdf

NationWIDE THE OFFICIAL NEWS MAGAZINE OF THE GOVERNMENT OF SAINT LUCIA NationSATURDAY MARCHWIDE 19, 2016 The visitors just keep on coming because: Saint Lucia is Still Simply Beautiful! The difference between truth and lies resides in fiction. To say Saint Lucia isn’t Simply Beautiful would be a pure lie. And to say it’s not attracting more visitors every year these days, is an even bigger lie. The figures tell the whole story -- and not even slicing or chopping the Tourist Board’s juicy round n figures will change the facts behind them. The simple truth is that Saint Lucia is simply so beautiful that it continues to attract repeat visitors. Never have local hotels done so well on the international Youth and Sports Councils Not Politically Affiliated - stage, winning awards after prestigious top awards. Never has this island been so well-marketed Page 2 overseas. Never has Saint Lucia been so often referred to as “a must see destination”. Confidence has been restored and investors are again expanding their local plants -- and their horizons. More new hotels are being built. More Big Name tourism businesses are coming and looking our way. Prime Minister Thanks Outgoing Taiwan Europe’s biggest cruise line has adopted Saint Lucia as its home port, starting later this year. The President - Page 3 world’s largest credit card company recently selected the island’s landmark Pitons for display on its website homepage. And a US $200 million five-star hotel is now on the cards for Choiseul. There Telecoms Minister Opens Cyber-Security are always down periods in tourism. But to suggest that two bad first months will spoil the rest of any year is simply a loud expression of lack of vision. With General Elections on the horizon, Conference - Page 3 the political opposition can naturally be expected to oppose any and every thing the government does well. But denying the stark truth by ignoring facts and selecting figures will not change what Government Pays Tribute to All Women on is into what’s not. Disagreement will not change the facts seen in the photo above or contained in Their Day - Page 4 the article about the island’s performance on Page 4. Visitors choose to continue coming to Saint Lucia, again and again, not because of what local opposition politicians say, but because they have been convinced by the truths sold to them by travel agents like the one in the special feature on Acting PM Says: New Tomazo Bridge Page 12. Opposition there will always be, but governments will always have to walk the walk while Coming Soon! - Page 11 their opponents talk the talk. Also in this edition, on Pages 6 and 7, is a an abridged version of a recent all-embracing interview the Prime Minister did with RSL’s Shelton Daniel on his ’90 Minutes’ program, including answers to questions from callers and in e-mails from listeners. This issue of The Diplomatic Courier - Nationwide again updates the nation, the region and the world on all we can, in these limited pages, Page 11 about what the Government of Saint Lucia has done at home and abroad, in the name of country and people, in the past fortnight. Read and Enjoy – and remember to view NationwideTV on NTN and browse the Nationwide website at stlucianationwide.com Happy Reading! Happy Viewing! Happy Browsing! WHAT’S INSIDE Page 2 NationWIDE Saturday March 19, 2016 NYC launched successful #FullPotential project with local JetBlue pilot Editorial he Saint Lucia National the island,” said Pilot Justin. Youth Council (NYC) has Pilot Justin’s volunteer work Simply Outrageous! Tpartnered with JetBlue is in line with JetBlue Airways’ Airways’ Pilot, Neil Justin to encouragement of its crewmem- launch the #FullPotential proj- bers to volunteer and give back ‘Politics’ is wrongly only the head of the same ect. to the communities they serve blamed for many things, Tourist Board, but also our Pilot Justin is a Saint Lucian in a meaningful way. including the way too Tourism Minister for five and has been working with Jet- The 2nd Vice President of many politicians here be- years. the Saint Lucia National Youth Blue for 11 months. The initial have in Simply Beautiful That the salivating sena- Council, Mr. Tevin Shepherd phase of the programme will Saint Lucia. But every per- tor will have called the work to inspire and empower noted: “We are excited about son has control over and Board after his onslaught youth of Saint Lucia through a this partnership with Pilot Jus- series of presentations and oth- tin to inspire the young people responsibility for what he to ask the officials he had er activities targeting secondary of Saint Lucia to think and be or she says, including (and just publicly condemned and primary school students. positive. especially) politicians as- as liars to disregard his On Tuesday (March 15th), Neil “We look forward to strength- piring to ministerial office. attacks on their integrity Justin, the JetBlue crew mem- ening our relationship with Pi- The outlandish attack as “just politics” is (as cor- ber, together with members of lot Justin and JetBlue Airways to on the Saint Lucia Tourist rectly noted by the Director the executive of the Saint Lucia promote positive youth devel- Board earlier this week by of Tourism) simply “disin- National Youth Council visited opment in Saint Lucia and the a young Opposition Sena- genuous”. the Entrepot Secondary School, Pilot Justin is a Saint Lucian wider Caribbean.” tor aspiring to become the But worse, to rain so much the St. Mary’s College and the who’s been working with The event was organized island’s Tourism Minister spit on the same body that JetBlue for 11 months. Canaries Primary School. by the Saint Lucia National spoke volumes. has so successfully pro- First Officer Justin spoke to the Youth Council in partnership Not once offering a sin- moted and managed the back to my country, Saint Lucia. students on his journey becom- with Saint Lucia Air and Sea gle shred of evidence to island’s tourism business ing a pilot and answer questions I look forward to this partner- Ports Authority and the lead- ship with the NYC. I’m particu- back his wild claim that in the past four years, all in that they may have on careers in ing regional aviation Facebook the Tourist Board is lying the name of “just politics”, larly excited about meeting and group- Aviation Lovers- Helen the aviation industry. to the nation about the real is simply outrageous. interacting with students across and Beyond. “I am committed to giving state of the tourism indus- Never mind the Board try, he accused the persons immediately called a responsible for promot- press conference to wipe Youth Council reaffirms political neutrality ing and marketing Saint his saliva, the spewing Lucia of “cherry picking” senator has since told the he South Castries Youth & to be in a neutral, controlling and The group’s statement says: “The the figures to “fool” Saint press he stands by his Sports Council has reaf- comfortable environment.” high level of public debate, support Lucians. claims and won’t with- Tfirmed that it is a youth group “The objective,” it says, “is to al- and encouragement for the debates Here was a wannabe draw a word. with no political alignment to any low young people in the constitu- has indicated that this level of politi- Tourism Minister, in the Nonetheless, as the say- political party in Saint Lucia. encies to ask questions, to discuss cal activism and advocacy is needed presence of the wannabe ing goes, “Every dark The council says its main man- issues affecting young persons in in St. Lucia’s political framework.” Prime Minister who prom- cloud has a silver lining.” date is to serve and develop young the community and giving the can- Responding to claims it had not ised him the position, vi- This sorry episode, bad persons of both South and South didates the platform to articulate made proper arrangements for the East Castries constituencies and their different plans for the con- planned debates, the group says that ciously attacking the very as it was, has also been a fostering partnership with all in- stituency they seek to represent.” for the debate between Dr. Ernest same institution he will clear and early indication volved stakeholders. The Council says it is disap- Hillarie and Mrs. Mary Isaac, it ”took have to work with if his -- a sure eye-opener -- for In a statement following allega- pointed by the “lack of political all necessary steps to ensure prepara- ambitious dream comes the movers and shakers tions of political alignment by maturity shown by prospective tion for this activity took place in a true, accusing its officials who drive tourism here, persons associated with the oppo- candidates” who boycotted its professional and diplomatic manner.” of deliberately lying to the ahead of the upcoming sition UWP, the youth group said debates. However, it says, it is The Council reiterates that it nation, the region and the General Elections. The is- in a statement that “The main rea- “also satisfied with the level of “has taken the decision to dia- world, about the true state land’s tourism stakehold- son for organizing to meet with all discourse that has been generated logue with all political candidates of the island’s tourism in- ers have clearly seen just political candidates in South and from its efforts to change the po- from both political parties, as it South East Castries, is for young litical landscape in South Castries continues to serve young persons dustry.

Load more