Entrance Fees For Tourism Sites

Vincentians will soon begin paying fees to visit the sites which were recently developed by the Ministry of Tourism.

The Owia Salt Pond, Botanic Gardens, Rawacou Recreational  Park, Falls of Baleine and Black Point Tunnel are among the 14 sites which were re-developed with funds from the European Union.

Last year, the sites were all handed over to the National Parks, Rivers and Beaches Authority for their management and maintenance.

Speaking at a news conference on Wednesday, Minister of Tourism, Glen Beache, said that there will be an entrance fee for persons visiting these sites. He said the entrance fee is a must, over the next few weeks persons will be on the ground, collecting data, with regards to Vincentians’ willingness to pay an entrance fee. The Minister further noted that regardless of the outcome of the study, there will be a charge to enter the sites.

A $1.00 fee is already in place for persons using the washroom and other facilities at the sites.  Hayden Billingy, Superintendent of Rivers, Beaches and Recreational Sites, said the sum of $10 million was spent on the development of these sites. Billingy explained that the entrance fee is needed to help recover cost, and maintain the sites and keep them up to international standard.

Andrew Lockhart, Superintendent of Marine and Terrestrial Parks, spoke of the study being done to determine the willingness of people to pay the entrance fee to the sites.  Lockhart said the survey will be carried out over the next three weeks.  He called on members of the public for their full support on this matter.

Reynold Francis, Chairman of the National Community Tourism Organization said that paying an entrance fee will help to offset some of the cost associated with the enhancement of the sites.

On Wednesday, the Communications Unit in the Ministry of Tourism also launched three new advertisements which will be aired on television.  Communications Manager, Anesia Baptiste, said the ads were all produced under the theme “tourism today, tourism tomorrow, tourism always.”

Recently a government official had refuted reports in the media that there will be a charge associated with the use of the tourist sites.

source of article:
The News
05/02/2010
email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it