Tourism sector recovering well but more work is needed – SVGHTA

The tourism industry in St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) has somewhat recovered from the destruction caused by Hurricane Beryl, but officials within the Hotel and Tourism sector have said that full recovery remains a work in progress.

Several stakeholders in the Grenadines continue to rebuild and are facing a demand on their financial resources and time. Also, one of the primary concerns is the employment of displaced workers.

These issues were pointed out on Saturday, November 30, 2024, by President of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Hotel and Tourism Association (SVGHTA), Isola Giddings.

“For our stakeholders in the Grenadines, the building continues to be a demand on time and financial resources. One of our primary concerns is the employment of displaced workers and we the Board are committed to providing the necessary support in every way possible,” Giddings noted.

She was speaking at the 2024 Tourism Award and Cocktail ceremony which was held at Beachcombers Hotel, Villa and said that the various stakeholders in the tourism sector should be praised.

“How we have managed to maintain our stability in the aftermath of the catastrophic disaster like hurricane Beryl, the joys of bouncing back from such a challenge is a testament to our strength, efficiency, determination and good leadership.”

She related that despite the challenges, there is much to celebrate, as in 2022 and 2023, prior to hurricane Beryl, the tourism sector witnessed “remarkable” growth in various areas.

“Additionally, earlier this year, we had the opening of Sandals Resort which brought a renewed vibrancy and created more employment.

“With Sandals opening we saw an increase in air travel, which is encouraging, further we saw Hotel Alexandrina expanding with an additional 22 rooms. I am happy to state that Paradise Beach Hotel refurbished all of their rooms and they now have an additional two rooms on to their total and I am thrilled as a Vincentian another brand hotel, Holiday Inn,” will be establishing a presence on the mainland, adding to the room stock.

She noted also that the industry has been boosted by airlines, namely, LIAT, JetBlue, Sunrise Airways and Winair, and that SVG Air extending into other islands has made the country more marketable.

“We are now in the cruise ship season with several inaugural calls and these developments represent growth which in turn promises increase financial gain for the tourism sector and by extension other businesses,” the SVGHTA President commented.

“…as we continue to build our resilience, we need reliable workers crafted in efficiency and professionalism, and additionally, we must remain focused on training and encouraging stakeholders to train new and existing employees to elevate workforce to meet international standards.

“This is important to sustaining and enhancing the progress we have made so far,” Giddings told the gathering.

She also used her address to mention the inaugural Restaurant Week and encouraged businesses to become involved in the tourism sector through sponsorship of events of this nature.