Castries: The Deputy Prime Minister, Ernest Hilaire attended the ground-breaking ceremony of “The Gimies- The Saint Lucia Tourism Awards” on Saturday. He commended the nominees and winners for their contributions in the field of tourism. He termed the tourism as the pillar of country’s growth and the people who make it successful should be honoured.
DY PM Hilaire, who also serves as Minister of Tourism, appreciated the tireless efforts and dedication of Saint Lucia’s tourism industry, which has resulted in the growth of the sector. Dr Hilaire described tourism as the soul of the country’s continued development.
He took to his official social media handle to congratulate the nominees of the Gimies awards ceremony.
“Congratulations to all the nominees. This is but a small token of appreciation for your service. Your tireless efforts make Saint Lucia a number one tourism destination time after time”, added DY PM Hilaire.
Noting this, he said tourism enables them to showcase the true essence of Saint Lucia’s vibrant culture and rich heritage. He described the country as one of the leading sustainable tourist destinations, which is improving and prospering with time.
Tourism Minister Hilaire shared his vision of improving the tourism sector, which will lead to the overall development of Saint Lucia which includes economic prosperity, sustainability and social equity.
Minister Hilaire further said that the Ministry is currently focusing on creating a framework that will enable them to promote tourism offerings, better accommodations and support small- and large-scale businesses. He assured that such initiatives will benefit everyone and will be seen across the country.
While speaking at the Gimies ceremony, he added that the event has emerged as an opportunity for all the stakeholders of tourism industry to enhance the tourism offerings with eco-friendly practices.
“For us, Gimies is a development programme that is celebrated on the stage. It is an opportunity for tourism stakeholders to promote tourism offerings with eco-friendly practices. It is our deliberate effort to promote small businesses in the tourism industry”, Tourism Minister added.
He highlighted the untiring efforts of the unsung heroes who are working diligently and dedicatedly to ensure the citizen’s prosperous lives.
