Basseterre, St. Kitts, June 16th, 2020 (ZIZ News) As bars and restaurants reopen under the guidance of Covid-19 protocols, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism Carlene Henry Morton is calling on all tourism stakeholders to be responsible partners in the joint effort to contain the virus.
Mrs Henry Morton was at the time speaking at a recent stakeholder meeting where she said an increase in Covid-19 cases would have a significant impact on the nation and specifically the tourism industry.
“An outbreak of the virus will not only overwhelm our health systems but it will deal a severe blow to our tourism industry here in the Federation and out there in the international tourism market….and trust me they are watching and monitoring our response to the pandemic, in the industry and otherwise.”
She encouraged the stakeholders to not undermine the progress that the nation has made in responding to the virus by trying to mimic other destinations.
So far, we have been trending well, we have come in for high praise… we cannot afford to lose the gains we have made by blindly rushing forward to compete with other destinations. Just about every country/state/destination that has tried that approach has seen serious spikes in cases and have had to close down again.
She said it’s not about who opens first but each destination must weigh its resources, its mechanisms for coping with the virus, determine what is at stake and make Informed and sensible decisions given the circumstances on the ground.