Vincentians should stop damaging image of SVG

EDITOR: The role of the media in tourism is very important. Journalists and talk show hosts sometimes do damage rather than improving. We know that for tourism to succeed and improve the IMAGE and PERCEPTION of the country are very important.

Sadly, but true, many of our journalists and talk show hosts paint a negative picture of this blessed land of ours. When we constantly degrade the image of our country on radio and social media, it deters visitors from visiting our shores.

We hear persons living abroad, who are supposed to be Vincentians, painting a picture of persons living in fear and giving the impression that ours is a police state. If, as Vincentians, we are claiming that we are afraid to come to SVG and would even further say that we don’t want to be referred to as Vincentians, then why would anyone want to come?

When in our newspapers crimes are given front cover and not the positive things, then visitors perception of SVG will not be positive. Many countries have more crimes than ours, but they are not affected by negativism, because the newspapers don’t give them front page coverage.

What we need is for us as Vincentians to love our country, regardless of the party in power. We may not like the party and so speak out against the evils by dealing with the issues. But to pull down our country and give it a negative image will destroy this country and the tourism product it is trying to create, regardless of which party is in power.

I want to recommend that good news take the front page of our news media, and not crime. Also that social media posts also reflect the good things about our country and not just the negative.

After all, we are Vincentians and when the politicians are no longer politicians, we still have this country. Political parties will come and go and so would politicians, but this country will remain. Therefore, let us promote our SVG while we deal with the issues at hand. We can act maturely.

God bless SVG. Wake up journalists and talk show hosts. Let us not degrade our country, but promote it. We need to take pride in ourselves and our country. While we are not better than anyone, no one is better than us. Long live SVG.

Kennard King