Tourism sector to recover in 2 years following Beryl destruction: St Vincent govt

St Vincent and the Grenadines: The Tourism sector of St Vincent and the Grenadines may take two years to get over the destruction caused in the island nation due to the devastating effects of Hurricane Beryl, stated the Tourism Minister Carlos James.

As per the analysis conducted by the experts, they noted that it will take minimum of 23 months in order to recover from the post-natural hazard. For the same, the administration of St Vincent and the Grenadines has come up with a budget of EC$136 million shared by Minister James.

While shedding light on this budget, Minister James asserted that the government has allocated EC$22 million for the Southern Grenadines as it is largely dependent on the tourism and the part of the nation has been highly affected due to the Beryl.

Further EC$500,000 has been allocated to the Promoting Youth Micro Enterprises Programme which is exclusive for Grenadine residents. The Minister stated that fiscal package included eight million dollars which has been allocated for the income support for the tourism stakeholders.

The government is reported to grant EC$1.5 million towards the rehabilitation of tourism sites across the country. Moreover, the tourism minister spoke of the urgent need to implement a tourism disaster management framework so that he can keep up with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction which has been adopted by the United Nations.

He stated that it is a policy initiative which will play a huge role in focusing on how they can prepare and respond to the aftermaths of natural hazards. He also expressed his desire of facilitating alternative transportation arrangements so that he can be in the field and support their tourism stakeholders.

Minister James remarked that they will have to hit ground zero and have to put resources in place to extend their support to stakeholders. He also ensured and stated that the government will continue to examine a sustainable livelihoods framework for tourism.

While highlighting the importance of the tourism sector, Minister James remarked that it is significant to focus on tourism industry as it is the highest source of income for the country.