CARIBBEAN TODAY


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U.S. travel alert for Guyana expires May 1


WASHINGTON The
United States Department of
State says its travel alert for
Guyana expires on May 1.
 It said the alert, first
issued on Feb. 26, is issued to
"inform U.S. citizens of safety
and security concerns
throughout Guyana following
recent events in Lusignan and
Bartica by armed criminal ele-
ments.
 "U.S. citizens should care-
fully consider the risks of trav-
el to Guyana in light of recent
attacks in the Georgetown
suburb of Lusignan and the
Essequibo River town of
Bartica", it said, noting that in


both places, attacks were con-
ducted by "heavily armed
galg' .
 The Jan. 26 and Feb. 17
attacks resulted in the deaths
of more than 23 people,
including five children and
three police officers, it said.
 "Due to the seemingly
random nature of these
crimes, the disparate locations
in which they occurred, and
the fact that the perpetrators
have not all yet been appre-
hended, additional attacks in
other parts of the country can-
not be ruled out", the state-
ment said.
 "The U.S. Embassy urges


U.S. citizens traveling in
Guyana to maintain a high
level of vigilance, consider
security issues when planning
activities throughout Guyana,
minimize movement when
possible while avoiding large
crowds, and not to travel at
night.
 "Guyanese authorities are
conducting an investigation in
response to the recent inci-
dents and may institute fur-
ther actions or precautions,
including roadblocks or other
nml iurL it added.
0


Montserrat volcano still dangerous ~ scientists


BRADES, Montserrat, CMC
- Scientists monitoring the
Soufriere Hills volcano have
reported that while lava extru-
sion has stopped, the dome is
still capable of either collaps-
ing or exploding.
 "During heavy downpours,
ions, lahar activity in drainages
around the volcano remain a
potential hazard," said Director
of the Montserrat Volcano
Observatory Dr. Vicky Hards
in a statement issued on
Mar. 31.


 She, however, noted that
the likelihood of an explosion
or collapse of the dome which
still consists of a large mass of
hot lava, was decreasing with
time as the dome slowly
cooled.
 The statement also noted
that measurable activity at the
Soufriere Hills Volcano, which
began erupting in July 1995,
showed no significant change.
 "Recorded seismic activi-
ty remained low and the seis-
mic network recorded just a


single rock fall signal," the
statement added.
 The release also indicated
that the alert level on the
island remained at four.
Access to all areas on the
southern flanks of the Belham
Valley, except Isles Bay Hill
and to the east of the Belham
Bridge, has been prohibited,
as well as the area south of
Jack Boy Hill to Bramble air-
port and beyond.
0


Anguilla upgrading disaster warning system


THE VALLEY, Anguilla,
CMC Anguilla has taken the
lead among Caribbean islands
in rolling out its National
Disaster Warning System.
 Disaster management offi-
cials here said the system was
designed to provide emergency
alerts and notification and will
"take advantage of multiple
communications means to get
the message out".


 The first phase of the
national system was tested here
late last month, following a suc-
cessful pilot project last year.
 Officials said the second
phase of the project will be
the establishment of a website
through which the public can
register to receive emergency
and tourism information mes-
sages. Information on pur-
chasing a warning system FM


radio receiver will also be
included on the website.
 Partners in the project
include the Anguilla Tourist
Board and the Anguilla Hotel
and Tourism Association,
Radio Anguilla, Royal Anguilla
Police Force, the DDM, and
the Media Coordination Group
of the National Disaster
Management Committee.
0


Region urged to focus on health, wellness tourism


BRIDGETOWN, Barbados,
CMC The Caribbean region
has been encouraged to market
itself to the United States,
Canada and Europe as a mecca
for health and wellness tourism.
 Tourism Minister Richard
Sealy said since many
Caribbean economies rely
on tourism as a major foreign
exchange earner, it was time
for the region to create a new
niche for itself.
 "I think that it is a neces-
sity for us given that tourism
is our main industry, and given
our limited resources and the
fact that a hardworking and
well educated work force is
about all we have going for
us," he told regional partici-
pants at a recent Caribbean
Export Development Agency
three-day seminar.
 "My understanding where


trade and health tourism is
concerned is that there have
been several approaches
adopted worldwide and gov-
ernments can get involved in
the sector as part of their
national policies in many dif-
ferent ways."

ON THE CARDS
 Commenting directly on
how Barbados planned to
assist investors in health and
wellness tourism ventures,
Minister Sealy noted that leg-
islative amendments were on
the cards.
 "There is already enabling
legislation (the Tourism
Development Act) and all
that is required is for the
sponsor of the project to
prove to the minister of
tourism that it is a tourism-
related project and that there


are some concessions avail-
able," Sealy explained.
 Executive Director of
Caribbean Export Phillip
Williams, who also addressed
the conference, added that the
Caribbean was ideally suited
to service the North American
market given its geographic
proximity, direct flights, com-
mon language and its sun,
sands and sea, which all con-
tribute to the region's attrac-
tiveness as a primary destina-
tion for health tourism. He
said the time was ripe for
service firms to explore con-
crete business opportunities
and for business support
organizations to develop serv-
ice sector strategies to facili-
tate two-way trade between
Canada and the region.
0


New 'one stop' Caribbean


 travel website launched


NEW YORK The Caribbean
Tourism Development
Company (CTDC), the market-
ing and business development
unit owned equally by the
Caribbean Hotel Association
(CHA) and the Caribbean
Tourism Organization (CTO),
has launched its official website.
 www.CaribbeanTravel.com
is designed as the first central
portal for all things related to
Caribbean travel.
 "Our goal with
CaribbeanTravel.com is to
create a one-stop shop for
travelers and travel agents
with all necessary information,
images and vacation offers at
their fingertips," said Vincent
Vanderpool-Wallace, co-chief
executive officer of the
CTDC. "In today's web-ori-
ented world,
it's all about
the rich con-
tent and our
site provides
visitors with a
complete vir-
tual experi-
ence that will
both whet Sanguinetti
their appetites
and provide all the tools they
need to plan and book their
trip."
 The website was designed
to offer travelers the most cur-
rent destination information


including weather reports,
upcoming festivals and events,
news from the Caribbean,
travel deals and promotions.
Travelers can also utilize the
site to book a Caribbean trip
with Travelocity, the website's
official travel booking engine,
or to be connected to a
Caribbean specialist travel
agent to plan
or book their
vacation.
 Other dis-
tinctive fea-
tures of the
site include: a
"Hot DL ,I
section with
special travel Vanderpool -Wallace
values; maps
of the region; and detailed
descriptions of places to stay,
things to do and special events
throughout the year.
 "Our goal since day one
of the creation of the CTDC
has been to create buzz and
business for the Caribbean,"
said Alec Sanguinetti, co-
CEO of the CTDC. "We are
achieving both of these goals
on this new site. Never before
have travelers had the oppor-
tunity to find so much dedicat-
ed information in one place as
they now have available on
CaribbeanTravel.com."


GEORGETOWN, Guyana,
CMC The Guyana govern-
ment says it has no intention
of lowering its environmental
standards to attract foreign
investment in the mining sec-
tor.
 Prime Minister Sam Hinds,
speaking at a one-day Corporate
Social Responsibility (CSR)
workshop organized by the
Canadian High Commission last
month, said that there would be
no adulteration of the global
environmental guidelines.
 Hinds, a Canadian-trained
mining expert, said the local
standards would not be "an
iota 11~ \\ l r than the interna-
tional benchmarks because of
heightened searches for min-
eral resources in Guyana by
overseas-based companies.
But he praised the historic
role foreign companies have
played in the country's eco-
nomic development adding
that they bring "connection
and integration in the world
market."
 Hinds said with interna-
tional nervousness created by


Hinas


global warming "there have
been renewed attention to
finding uranium resources
here as an alternative energy
source to the popular, but
expensive, fossil fuel."
 The prime minister, who is
also the minister of mining in
the Bharrat Jagdeo administra-
tion, said there were three for-
eign companies that have been
exploring alternative energy
resources in the country.
0


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Guyana rejects lowering


standards for investors


April 2008


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