SVG Tourism Director Outlines Priorities at OECS Sustainable Tourism Consultation 

By Val Matthias. Updated 11:44 a.m., Thursday, February 5, 2026, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4).

Regional tourism stakeholders met in Grenada on January 29-30 for consultations on the future of tourism in the Eastern Caribbean. The meeting, convened by the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean State(OECS) Regional Tourism Steering Committee, focused on validating the OECS Sustainable Tourism Action Plan (STAP), a roadmap to guide the sector’s development over the next decade. 

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines was represented by Director of Tourism Ms. Faylene King, who highlighted strategies most relevant to SVG’s national priorities, community-based tourism, blue economy initiatives, destination management, and data-driven decision making through research. 

Ms. King explained that community based tourism provides opportunities for Vincentians to integrate cultural heritage, local entrepreneurship, and authentic experiences into the tourism product, ensuring that households and villages benefit directly. She also pointed to the potential of blue economy tourism, noting SVG’s extensive marine resources and the importance of aligning tourism growth with ocean conservation and coastal livelihoods.

“Destination management and data research are equally critical,” she said, stressing that evidence based planning and coordinated oversight are necessary to balance visitor demand with environmental and social sustainability. 

The Grenada consultation followed the adoption of the OECS Sustainable Tourism Policy 2025 – 2035, which serves as the foundation for the STAP. Implementation will take place in three phases: Foundation (2025- 27), Scaling (2028-31), and Consolidation (2032- 35). Early actions identified for the next two years include the launch of an OECS Tourism Knowledge and Resource Centre and pilot projects for circular tourism initiatives. 

Grenada’s Minister for Tourism, Senator the Adrian Thomas, opened the consultation by emphasizing the importance of collective regional action.

“Sustainable tourism, for us, is not an abstract concept. It is about safeguarding our beaches and marine ecosystems, preserving our cultural heritage, strengthening linkages with agriculture and the creative industries, and ensuring that tourism revenues circulate within our local economies,” he said. 

The consultation was supported by the European Union through the 11th EDF Regional Integration Through Growth Harmonisation and Technology (RIGHT) programme. At the end of the consultation, stakeholders had validated the implementation roadmap with clear roles for national and regional institutions, reinforcing the OECS commitment to advancing sustainable and competitive tourism. 

Participants included representatives from Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, along with associate members Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands. 

END