Turks and Caicos plots green island first

The Turks and Caicos Islands is to give the Caribbean region its first “green island” in the near future as part of the government’s sustainable tourism programme, Premier, Dr. Michael Misick has said.

The 2.5 mile island of Salt Cay, once the centre of the Bermudan salt industry and the mainstay of the Turks and Caicos economy from the late 1600’s until the early 1960’s, has been chosen to be transformed into the “green island,” Premier Misick said at a news conference here.

“Any new development will be consistent with that philosophy (of sustainable development),” the Premier told journalists.

The news conference was being held to launch a public awareness campaign for the 10th Annual Caribbean Conference on Sustainable Tourism Development (STC-10) to be held here from April 28- May 1.

The conference, organised by the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), in collaboration with the Turks and Caicos Islands Tourist Board and the Caribbean Hotel Association, has as its theme, Keeping the Right Balance: Sustaining the Caribbean Coastal Product

"It is hoped that by doing this conference, we are seen as leading the way in sustainable tourism development, but also it would help to educate some of the various people in the tourism industry and the people of the TCI of the need to preserve the environment, the need to have a clean surroundings," Premier Misick said.

The conference, which will be held at Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort & Spa (by Sandals), a Green Globe Certified hotel, is designed to provide attendees with information on the development and implementation of tourism practices in a responsible manner.

The CTO secretary general, Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace, who also addressed the news conference, said that greater awareness of sustainable tourism among travellers means more people want to go to destinations that practice it.

“This is not only good business sense but it is profitable for the tourism product,” he said.

A number of prominent speakers, among them the noted Canadian naturalist, Dr. David Suzuki, will make presentations at the conference. It will also feature a dynamic programme, including study tours of the host country, Turks & Caicos Islands. One such comprehensive tour will include a visit to the world’s only conch farm. For more information or to register for the conference, visit, www.OneCaribbean.org.

Sponsors for STC-19 include the Government of the Turks & Caicos Islands, Turks & Caicos islands Tourist Board, Cayman Islands, Islands Magazine and the Caribbean Hotel Association.