CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (February 6, 2007)
Premier of Nevis and Minister of Tourism the Hon. Joseph Parry, called on Nevisians to recognise the linkages that tourism had with the rest of the economy.
The Premier made the call on Saturday February 3rd 2007 where stakeholders of the industry were honoured for their contribution to the tourism sector in Nevis at the Four Seasons Resort.
“We need to encourage and support these linkages to ensure that our people are fully involved in all these allied activities with tourism. I am pleased to see that the Ministry and the Department of Agriculture is making every effort to take advantage of these linkages.“I would like all of us who are in this business [tourism] to do our best to ensure that these linkages are established because that is the way the tourism dollar would reach down to the common man. It is time that we look to tourism in this way”, he said.
Mr. Parry said that the government would not take advantage of the people of Nevis but would ensure that when it invested in tourism, people would benefit and that the Nevis Island Administration has pursued a policy of equal partnership.
“We must not seek to take everything from the people of Nevis. Poor people cannot subsidize people who are in a better position economically. It must be an equal partnership where everybody is respected and I want that message to be made absolutely clear,” Mr. Parry said.
He lauded the tourism partners and allied agencies for their significant contributions and said he was pleased to see that Ministry of Tourism honour its stakeholders.