CASTRIES, St Lucia (CMC) – Tourism ministers from the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) will meet in St Vincent and the Grenadines next week to discuss a common sustainable tourism policy for the sub-region.

The “OECS Common Sustainable Tourism Policy 2025-2035” has been developed by the OECS through extensive consultations with member states. It replaces the 2011 Common Tourism Policy, which expired in 2016 and aims to drive sustainable tourism growth through a blue economy approach, significantly contributing to the region’s Gross Domestic Product and job creation.

Funded by the World Bank under the “Unleashing the Blue Economy in the Caribbean” project, the policy emphasises regional integration, inclusive growth, and climate resilience, ensuring that tourism opportunities are accessible to diverse communities.

According to the St Lucia-based OECS Commission, key areas of focus include the sustainable use of coastal and marine resources, biodiversity conservation, and inter-sectoral linkages, all aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

It said the March 28 meeting in Kingstown, will address the endorsement of this policy as well as discuss the impacts of new United States trade and economic policies on the tourism sector, alongside reviewing niche tourism marketing strategies and the status of current tourism initiatives in the region.

The meeting will be chaired by Grenada’s Tourism Minister, Adrian Thomas.

The OECS groups the islands of Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St Lucia, St Kitts-Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Montserrat, Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands.