Following the COVID-19 pandemic, residents want the island’s tourism industry to support locals’ well-being, cultural authenticity, and natural resources.
BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS (26 May 2022) – Today, the St. Kitts Ministry of Tourism released the results of their 2021 Resident Perception of Tourism Survey. This survey, completed by Sustainable Travel International and Holistic Education Research & Conservation, a local data-driven community-based organization, aimed to understand resident priorities and sentiments towards tourism in order to inform policy and strategy moving forward. Building on a 2017 resident survey, it showed that, while positive perceptions of tourism have diminished over the past four years, exacerbated over the past two years by the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, residents still believe tourism is important and an industry they want to grow and participate in.
The Heart of St. Kitts Foundation is a travel philanthropy fund established as a collaborative effort between the St. Kitts Ministry of Tourism, St. Kitts Sustainable Destination Council, and Sustainable Travel International.
Day in and day out these three ambitious women are helping to make St. Kitts a more sustainable place to live in and experience! Read on to get to know who they are.
Day in and day out, thousands of travelers set foot on St. Kitts’ shores. During their visit, they stay in hotels, go on tours, and eat in restaurants, meeting countless locals who work in the industry. Yet these tourists are largely unaware of the environmental and socio-cultural challenges facing St. Kitts and the opportunities they have to make a positive impact. As the ones who are on the frontline interacting with these visitors on a daily basis, tourism workers are in a unique position to drive a transformation in the industry and spread awareness of sustainable tourism practices. However, before this can happen, they must first become familiar with the principles of sustainability themselves and know how businesses and travelers can take action.
Growing up in St. Kitts in a family rooted deep in agriculture, Kenney Manning has always felt a deep connection to the local environment. Now, as the Farm Manager at St. Kitts Eco-Park, Kenney’s day-to-day life combines this love of nature with the island’s booming tourism industry.
Marine Management Area (MMA) and Habitat Monitoring Officer, St. Kitts and Nevis Department of Marine Resources
From her job title, it will likely come as no surprise that marine conservation is major part of Tricia’s life. Tricia’s fascination with marine animals and appreciation for the environment started at an early age, and only grew stronger as she got older. A desire to protect marine habitats led Tricia to pursue a career path in marine biology and later to her current role at the St. Kitts and Nevis Department of Marine Resources. As the department’s Marine Management Area and Habitat Monitoring Officer, Tricia is actively involved in marine resource management and helped get St. Kitts’ first Marine Managed Area declared in August 2016.
History aficionado, teacher, tour guide, and author
A man of many talents, Leonard Stapleton wears numerous hats in his day-to-day life – from educator and historian, to accountant and tour guide. While it may be hard to predict what he will be doing from one day to the next, odds are that it will be related to one of his main passions – learning about and sharing the natural, cultural, and historic heritage of St. Kitts and Nevis.
