feb-2018c

10 11 OPENING LINES EASTERN CARIBBEANTOURISM STAKEHOLDERSMEET IN ST. VINCENT K ey stakeholders involved in theOrganization of Eastern Ca- ribbean States (OECS) networkof excellence for tourismand hospitality training and education project met recently in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The two-daymeeting brought together representatives of theOECS Commission,members of the Eastern Caribbean Institute of Tourism (ECIT) ImplementationTaskForce and ICTCommittee,and project consultants. The purpose of themeetingwas to providemember states with an update on the ECIT implementation and obtain consensus on the strategicdirection and programdevelopment for the Eastern Carib- bean Institute of Tourism.Themeeting also engagedmembers of the ECIT ImplementationTaskForce and ICTCommittee,to get their input in formulating a sustainability strategy for ECIT. InApril 2010,theOECS Council of Ministers of Tourismagreed to the development of an integrated system for hospitality training and education in the region.The Council of Ministersmandated theOECS Commission to establish a networkof excellence for tourismand hos- pitality training and education (NETHTE). NETHTE then gave birth to the Eastern Caribbean Institute of Tour- ism (ECIT) comprising Centres of Excellence in nineOECSmember states,each offering an area of specialization in tourismand hospitality training and education. Establishment of ECIT ismade possiblewith grant funding support from the EuropeanUnion to the tune of €4million and is part of a wider 10th EDF Economic Integration andTrade of theOECS Region project.The primarypurpose of ECIT is to harmonize and enhance the tourismand hospitality sector in theOECS through continued im- provements in human resource development and knowledgeman- agement,and in so doing,to support theOECS EconomicUnion as a single financial and economic space. Withan imminentproject enddate in2018,ECITwill becomeopera- tional throughthe respectivePartner Institutions inMemberStatesandbe apermanent featureof the integrationarchitectureof the region.