CARPHA, OECS collaborate for Healthier, Safer Tourism

September 21, 2021

The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), through its Regional Tourism and Health Programme, and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission, are seeking to restore travellers’ confidence in the Eastern Caribbean.

The OECS Commission is committed to supporting the implementation of CARPHA’s Tourism and Health Program (THP) in its Member States. In so doing has formalised its collaboration through the signing of a Letter of Agreement, at the OECS Commission’s headquarters in Saint Lucia on Friday, September 17, 2021.

The novel Tourism and Health Programme (THP) is expected to support a travel and tourism product that is safe, secure, and provides an authentic and meaningful experience to travelers to the region whilst protecting the health and wellbeing of locals. The programme is expected to align the private sector to robust common standards to ensure the safety of its workforce and travellers, making the sector more responsive to the new “COVID-19 normal”, as well as emerging health threats. This includes:

• Healthier, safer, better quality tourism product and destination

• Enhanced capacity in food safety, health & environment sanitation

• Industry-wide, real-time tourism early warning and response surveillance system (THiS) to avoid and reduce illness spread and negative publicity.

• Increase in the reputation, comparative advantage, hence marketability of travel and tourism in the OECS.

(Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States Media Release)

September 20, 2021