“Know The Environment, Know Tourism; No Environment, No Tourism”

As I pondered the meaning of the above winning slogan for Tourism Month 2007, promoted by the St. Kitts Tourism Authority, I couldn’t help but wonder, having recently celebrated Independence in September, at the curious situation reflected in the first and second runner-up slogans, as well as the remarks by the Minister of State for Tourism where, to many Kittitians, St. Kitts only is referred to as the nation or country. As I understand it, many Nevisians likewise refer to their island only in similar terms, and there is also a Nevis Tourism Authority, which promotes its own Tourism Month. Do the two tourism authorities collaborate in promoting the tourism offerings of St. Kitts and Nevis? What about the environment?

According to the dictionary, “environment,” which is derived from a word meaning “to encircle,” refers to the circumstances, objects, or conditions by which one is surrounded, and this can include the social and cultural conditions that influence the life of an individual or community, as well as the complex combination of climatic, physical and biotic factors that act upon an organism or a region. The latter definition describes the natural environment, and this meaning is often intended when the word environment is used by itself.

Does St. Kitts and Nevis have different natural environments? Depending upon the scope of the enquiry, there are two answers. The islands are indeed different in many respects: different soils and levels of rainfall, variations in plant and animal species and diversity, are some obvious examples. But there are also areas of similarity and commonality. The brown pelican, the national bird of St. Kitts and Nevis, ranges over the coastal areas of both islands from its roost at Nag’s Head on the south east peninsula. Many tourism activities on each island, such as scuba dive expeditions, snorkelling, sea bathing excursions and catamaran cruises routinely utilise the natural environmental resources shared by both islands.

Furthermore, both islands face the same environmental challenges, such as over fishing, sand mining, and the destruction or degradation of their ecosystems and environmental features by tourism and other ‘development.’

So it is good and desirable for all of us to know the environment of each island, its value to tourism, interaction with the other, and the actual and potential adverse impacts of tourism upon it. In knowing this, we may recognize that the environment itself cannot be destroyed, although some elements can be. Those elements – such as our beaches, coral reefs, wetlands, mountains, vegetation, wildlife, clean water and air – comprise our natural heritage. That heritage can be damaged, degraded and destroyed. In such a scenario, we lose or impair not only our tourism, but also the integrity of our country and of our selfhood.

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