” project is expected to make Saint Lucia Tourism Sector stronger and more resilient){kind=link}
Saint Lucia: Saint Lucia launched the “Unleashing the Blue Economy of the Caribbean (UBEC)” project on Thursday. Deputy Prime Minister of Saint Lucia, Earnest Hilaire attended the launch event hosted at the Finance Administrative Centre, Pointe Seraphine.
The Ministry of Tourism has received a USD1,000,000.00 grant component to blue economy MSME’s under this project. With this grant, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises will have the opportunity to improve their business.
UBEC project is being implemented in Saint Lucia with funding from the World Bank in selected coastal areas of the Caribbean region. Saint Lucia is one of the three participating states who are set to benefit from the project.
Over the next five years, UBEC will work on strengthening the tourism, fisheries, and waste management sectors of the country. Through these initiatives, the programme seeks to enable greater sustainability both environmentally and financially.
The UBEC Project will also help in the development of the Tourism Sector of the country. The UBEC Programme will boost the economic growth in Saint Lucia over the next five years. The programme will help the nation in improving climate resilience and sustainability.
The programme is also expected to bring more employment opportunities for the people of Saint Lucia. Deputy Prime Minister Ernest Hilaire highlighted all the tourism projects which will be implemented under the UBEC programme.
The projects will help the government and other stakeholders understand how they can improve the sector and make it more lucrative. The developments undertaken by the authorities can help make the tourism sector a strong and dependable part of the country.
The first project is the Design and Establishment of an Underwater Dive Sculpture Park. Upon completion, the project will attract a number of tourists to the Saint Lucian Coast. Through this project, the tourism sector can sustainably benefit from the Blue Economy and vice versa.
The Redevelopment of the Marigot Bay Waterfront is another project on the list. The waterfront resort already attracts several tourists and its redevelopment can lead to a further increase in tourist footfall.
The authorities will also undertake a Comprehensive Demand Study for the Tourism Transportation Sector. This initiative will help them understand how to improve the sector even more and invest in areas that need assistance.
Finally, the programme will help in the Revision of the National Tourism Policy. The programme will also help in further advancement of the tourism Certification Program.
The blue economy is extremely important for Saint Lucia’s growth and prosperity. Accordingly, sustainable use of the marine resources of Saint Lucia, without causing harm to the health of the ocean, is crucial.
Deputy Prime Minister Hilaire noted that his ministry is committed to harnessing the full potential of the maritime sector.