[Fwd: sustainable tourism: CARIBBEAN/JAMAICA: Egyptian Tourism Mission in Jamaica]

Jayne Musumba wrote:
>
> Egyptian tourism mission here
>
> Observer Reporter
>
> 1 August, 2000
>
> AN 11-member mission of Egyptian tourism executives arrived in
> Jamaica Sunday to share and learn about programmes and
> initiatives in sustainable tourism.
>
> Jamaica is the second leg of the group's "sustainable tourism
> study tour" which also stopped in the United States Virgin
> Islands and Florida under Egypt's Red Sea Sustainable Tourism
> Initiative (RSSTI).
>
> The United States Government, through the United States Agency
> for International Development (USAID) programme in Egypt, is
> funding the RSSTI project with the Tourism Development Authority
> and Ministry of Tourism in Egypt. The project was implemented by
> Hagler Bailly Services Inc -- the same company which has
> implemented Jamaica's celebrated Environmental Audits for
> Sustainable Tourism (EAST) project.
>
> EAST, the vehicle being used to "green" the Jamaican tourism
> industry, is a joint project of USAID and the Jamaica Hotel &
> Tourist Association (JHTA) whose hotels have been the first in
> the world to be certified "green" by the UK-based Green Globe
> International.
>
> The group of senior Egypt Tourism Development Authority (TDA)
> executives, which is scheduled to leave the island on August 6,
> includes planning and environmental engineers, an architect and
> two university professors.
>
> Yesterday, they participated in a sustainable tourism workshop at
> the Courtleigh Hotel & Suites where they made presentations on
> managing tourism growth on the Red Sea Coast, tourism development
> in eco-zones, best practices and sustainable tourism policy
> framework.
>
> The workshop was addressed by representatives of Jamaica's major
> donor hospitality and tourism agencies, including USAID/Jamaica
> Mission director, Mosina Jordan; Bill Meade, project manager EAST
> & RSSTI Projects; James Samuels, president JHTA; Robert Stephens,
> chairman Port Royal Development Project; and representatives of
> the Ministry of Tourism & Sports, the Natural Resources
> Conservation Authority (NRCA) and the Coastal Water Quality
> Improvement Project (CWIP) a USAID/NRCA project.
>
> The Egyptians will also tour local hotels that practice
> sustainable tourism, including Negril Cabins Resort, Sandals
> Negril Beach Resort & Spa, Swept Away Resort and the Half Moon
> Hotel in Montego Bay.
>
> Hugh Cresser, local project co-ordinator of the EAST project,
> said that like EAST in Jamaica, Egypt's RSSTI is based on
> technical assistance, training and limited equipment purchases
> with a primary focus on private sector investors, developers and
> managers.
>
> Following completion of phases I and II, July 1997 - March 1999
> with US$1.2 million funding by the USAID, the Agency voted
> another US$1.5 million for a further 2 1/2 years last June.
>
> The programme is credited with improving the environmental
> performance of Jamaica's private and tourism companies through
> the adoption of corporate environmental management systems.
>
> Cresser said that Jamaica is being seen as a positive model as a
> result of successes to date under EAST, with six hotels now
> certified by Green Globe 21 and work in progress to "green"
> Negril and Port Antonio. Under EAST, another 35 hotels and
> attractions will be audited and prepared for certification.
>
> Noting that other countries are also highly interested in the
> Jamaican hospitality sector, he said that the Egyptian mission is
> to be followed by one from the Cayman Islands.
>
> SOURCE: Jamaica Observer
>
Received on Tue Aug 1 18:22:12 2000