IN the ZONE Newsletter #2, 1St Quarter, 2011
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IN THE ZONE st Newsletter #2, 1 quarter 2011 “IN THE ZONE” a tribute to the Sustainable Tourism Zone of the Caribbean. EDITORIAL The team of the ACS Directorate of Sustainable Tourism (DST) is pleased to present this, our second edition of In the ZONE, a newsletter focusing on Sustainable Tourism in the Greater Caribbean. In this edition, we celebrate the beginning of a new year and invite you to explore exciting events in Suriname, Dominican Republic, Guyana, Haiti, Grenada and El Salvador. With an offering from the INTERREG Caribbean more options to build a Wider Caribbean together can be explored. Furthermore, we would like to thank the members of the various Ministries of Tourism, Embassies and Caribbean Organisations who contributed to this publication and we look forward to receiving further submissions of articles and pictures for our future editions as we continue to showcase the beautiful people, amazing sites and diverse culture of our region. Gloria de Mees, ACS Director Sustainable Tourism Above: Jeannette Kawas Park, Honduras Picture provided by: The Honduras Secretary of Tourism THE ACS DIRECTORATE OF SUSTAINABLE TOURISM In 2001, at their 3rd Summit in Margarita Island, Venezuela, ACS Heads of States and/or Governments agreed on signing the Convention Establishing the Sustainable Tourism Zone of the Caribbean (STZC), known as the “Margarita Convention”. The Convention identifies the STZC as: “A geographically determined cultural, socio-economic and biologically rich and diverse unit, in which Tourism development will depend on sustainability and the principles of integration, co- operation and consensus, aimed at facilitating the integrated development of the Greater Caribbean.” Supported by four major Programmatic Areas, projects that focus on the overall objective of the ACS Sustainable Tourism Directorate to develop initiatives that would facilitate consultation, co- operation and concerted action among ACS Member States and Associate Members in the area of Sustainable Tourism, are identified and executed. The four ACS Sustainable Tourism Programmatic Areas are: - Establishment of the Sustainable Tourism Zone of the Caribbean (STZC) - Promotion of Multi-Destination Tourism Picture provided by: - Promotion of Language and Cultures of the Greater Caribbean Mrs. Bevon Bernard -Henry - Establishment of the Regional Tourist Safety and Security Network nd The 2 Meeting of the Ad-Hoc Working Group for the 2nd Meeting of the Ad-Hoc Working creation of the Association of Caribbean Cruise Ship Destinations (ACCD-WG-2) was held at the Hotel Casa Group to establish the Association of Santo Domingo, La Antigua Guatemala, Guatemala, on Caribbean Cruise Ship Destinations Sept 2nd – 3rd, 2010, under the auspices of the Government of the Republic of Guatemala through its (ACCD –WG-2) Tourism Institute. The Meeting was led by the Director of the Institute of Tourism of Nicaragua, Mr. Hector Cordova Alvarez, representing the Chairman of the Ad-Hoc Working Group for the creation of the Association of Caribbean Cruise Ship Destinations (ACCD-WG), Minister Mario Salinas. Attended by representatives of 10 Member States as well as two Founding Observers, the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) and the Central American Integration System (SICA), the aim of the meeting was to further develop the concept of an ACCD from its first meeting held in Managua, Nicaragua in Dec 2009 (ACCD-WG-1). In frank and open discussions the meeting decided the following: • The time frame for the establishment of the ACCD is set for mid-December. • A consultant will be contracted for the period till mid- December to produce the Statues and bylaws of the ACCD as well as its Strategic Operational Plan including the Sustainable Funding Plan. Through a mechanism of sub-committees, the members of the ACCD-WG and interested ACS Members States with the involvement of CTO, and SICA will provide input to the deliverables of the consultancy. The programme of the meeting also included a cocktail • The meeting also validated the input of the private reception on the evening of the first day at the meeting’s sector on a country level to be incorporated in the headquarters, Hotel Casa de Santo Domingo. On the regional approach. afternoon of the last day of the meeting, a tour around the City • The meeting agreed to convene a meeting with the of La Antigua Guatemala was organized for the participants by Cruise Industry. the Institute of Tourism of Guatemala (INGAUT). FACING REALITY: Establishing an Association of Caribbean Cruise Ship Destinations (Excerpt) In most countries of the Greater Caribbean we observe enormous floating resorts transporting scores of visitors docked at our various ports to admire the beauty of our historical capitals, to taste of our delightful cuisine and to enjoy the richness which multi-ethnic societies have to offer. Then they return to their countries of origin with stories and snapshots of their short lived vacations in our exotic islands and the “acquired treasures” from the hands of our many talented artisans. For our Caribbean cruise destinations it is crucial that these tourists, having sampled what the Region has to offer, return to enjoy our land-based vacations. There is no denying that the cruise industry’s economic impact in the Caribbean region is significant. A thorough understanding of the industry, however, facilitates a better perspective of its potential and pitfalls as a driver of economic development. Economic issues include direct and potential impacts on the port authorities and port communities, hidden environmental impacts on marine and coastal eco-systems, development alternatives to cruise ships for port communities, distributional impacts and cultural implications of cruise tourism development as well as the socio-economic impact of disembarking crew members, in addition to the typically tracked tourist expenditures. Continued from above Cruise Tourism also has an undeniable socio-cultural impact on the local community and environment such as increased revenue for local businesses including local artisans and the self employed. On the other hand increased migration to port communities, increased carrying capacity and environmental risk as those associated with ship operations and with tourist activities in the destinations give equal cause for concern. In order to face these challenges and others, enhancing the sustainability of cruise ship destinations in the Region must be considered a primary focus. Reaffirming their commitment to sustainable tourism development in 2005, the Heads of State and/or Government in the Declaration of Panama mandated to convene a Tourism Ministerial Meeting to exchange experiences and analyze proposals and alternatives to tourism public policies. Then, Ministers of Tourism and High-Level officials in their first meeting under the auspices of the ACS in Havana, Cuba in 2006 agreed to consider the possibility of establishing an Association of Caribbean Cruise ship Destinations, which will contribute to exerting more force in the discussions with the industry and have the potential to accrue benefits to Member States and Associate Members of the ACS, particularly through the increase of cruise trips. A collective approach in the Greater Caribbean in the area of Cruise Tourism is only sustainable when the right balance is created between the commitment to secure: unique visitor experience and satisfaction; respect the socio-cultural heritage; quality of life of local communities and preservation of natural resources and biodiversity. This would in turn ensure a viable, long-term economic operation through partnerships among government, the private sector and local communities. Above Left: Between Two Ships | Below Right: Souvenier Kiosk at Pier | Article & Pictures by: Ms. Gloria de Mees GETTING TO KNOW THE INTERREG CARIBBEAN PROGRAMME What is the Focus of the Caribbean INTERREG programme? The INTERREG IV Caribbean Programme was approved by the European Commission on the 27th March, 2008 for the benefit of Guadeloupe, French Guyana, Martinique, Saint Martin and Saint Barths, in partnership with regional organizations (ACS, CARICOM/CARIFORUM and OECS). It finances cooperation projects that will improve the social and economic situation of the Caribbean region. What are the Objectives of the Caribbean INTERREG Programme? With the aim of contributing to cooperation between the islands of the French West Indies and its Caribbean partners, the three key objectives of the INTERREG Programme are: Continued on following page • Enhance cooperation across borders through joint local and regional initiatives • Enhance transnational cooperation through actions conducive to integrated territorial development in conjunction with the Community’s priorities • Strengthen interregional cooperation and exchange of experience at the appropriate local level. The Caribbean INTERREG programme provides a platform where all Caribbean countries can share their expertise and good practices. What about Partnerships between the ACS and the French West Indian Islands? The Caribbean Programme finances remarkable partnership projects with the ACS, an example of which was a Forum for Airline and Tourism Executives for the promotion of multi-destination tourism in the Greater Caribbean. The Forum brought together decision makers from the public and private tourism and transportation sectors and mandated the Regional Council to host and fund a multi-destination Travel Market which was held in July 2008 within the