Statia conference focuses on community

ORANJESTAD, St. Eustatius – Statia is blessed in many ways, the petite Caribbean destination is officially public body of the Netherlands. As small as its 11.8 square mile guitar shape, the island inhabits plus-minus 4000 of the warmest and most welcoming crowd of people in the world. By its size and shape, makes it easy for one to visualize its community tourism aspect. As this year’s “Statia Sustainable Conference” (SSC-03) approaches it is important to be continuously informed of all plans and preparation leading up to the event. The St. Eustatius Tourism Development Foundation (STDF) will host SSC-03 for the third time, September 25 – 27, 2014.

“This year’s conference should prove extremely relevant for St. Eustatius. The term ‘community tourism’ is most likely little known among islanders. Many residents are already practicing community tourism without even knowing it; by producing local juices and offering a homestay program to visitors. We hope that this conference will educate locals as to what community tourism is, and encourage them to develop and enhance their products in order to promote the island and its natural resources,” said Hannah Madden, Sustainable Committee Member.

Compared to some of the largest countries in the Caribbean where one has to travel from one Parish to the other to experience community tourism, Statia has it whole! Community tourism is all about local and visitor interaction and for that reason, being that Statia is so petite you don’t have to go searching; community tourism is everywhere, all around you.

In conjunction with private contributors and sponsoring institutions, the Statia Sustainable Committee in collaboration with STDF has led the organization of this three-year-old conference. SSC-03 is a good opportunity for participants to network with leaders in the Caribbean tourism industry at the various conference sessions and workshops.

“We encourage the general public to take advantage of this unique opportunity to engage with Caribbean leaders and have your challenges addressed in an interactive forum. At the end of SSC-03 we are positive that participants will be more informed on what community tourism means for the island and most importantly gain knowledge of techniques and skills that can encourage sustainable practices,” said STDF.

St. Eustatius is a council member of the International Coalition of Tourism Partners (ICTP) .