MERCI À Denis (Prana) pour cette mise à jour
SAIL CLEAR en remplacement de Eseaclear
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Extrait de CaribbeanCompass_2013-02.pdf
Currently, the eSeaClear system is only used in Antigua & Barbuda. A similar system, called SailClear, has been tested in St. Lucia and is due to be rolled out in other Eastern Caribbean countries.
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Extrait de CaribbeanCompass_2013-04.pdf
OECS Developing Yachting Sector Plan Public and private sector representatives from all nine Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) member states assembled in Tortola, British Virgin Islands, on February 27th and 28th for a working session geared towards developing an action plan for the yachting sector, seen as a key niche in the region's tourism industry.
Representing the Caribbean Marine Association (CMA) at the meeting were President John Duffy (Antigua & Barbuda), Vice-President Bob Hathaway (St. Lucia) and Director Anita Sutton (Grenada). The purpose of the meeting was to explore ways of unlocking the economic benefits plan for the yachting sector, seen as a key niche in the region's tourism industry. Representing the Caribbean Marine Association (CMA) at the meeting were President John Duffy (Antigua & Barbuda), Vice-President Bob Hathaway (St. Lucia) and Director Anita Sutton (Grenada).
The purpose of the meeting was to explore ways of unlocking the economic benefits of yachting to the region and to jointly market the sector, while remaining aware of the environment that is the major source of income for most OECS countries. The meeting was conducted by Rodinald Soomer and Dr. Lorraine Nicholas from the OECS Secretariat, with presentations from various parties including the CMA. “The yachting sector in the OECS has been identified as offering an ideal opportunity to mobilize the shared benefits of the economic union and is one of the clearest and most obvious avenues to develop the OECS as a single economic space. In light of the archipelagic configuration of the OECS region, comprising nine small islands in close proximity to each other, and linked by arguably some of the best sailing waters in the world, yachting is a prime niche sector in tourism that can be developed and promoted jointly in the OECS. The product offering of 'many islands, one sea', with the opportunity to sail between different islands, furnishes considerable appeal to the yachting community and positions the OECS region at a distinct comparative advantage,” Dr. Nicholas said.
High among the objectives was the easing of movement between the various Eastern Caribbean islands. The Caribbean Customs Law Enforcement Council (CCLEC) in co-operation with the OECS and with the support of the CMA is working towards the introduction of an almost seamless on-line process that will come on stream during 2013. CCLEC and the OECS will be releasing more information on this in the near future and the CMA has been tasked, at the appropriate time, to spread the word to the international yachting community.
The CMA was also tasked with investigating the reasons behind the punitive rates of yacht insurance prevalent in the Caribbean, which seem to be unrelated to risk when compared with the east coast of the USA. It was considered by the meeting that these rates are having a deleterious effect on the summer season in the Caribbean.
Although the CMA extends beyond the limits of the OECS to include countries such as The Bahamas, St. Maarten and Trinidad & Tobago, it was noted that there were some gaps within the OECS where countries have limited or embryonic yachting industries. It was felt essential that each OECS member country should have a nongovernmental recreational marine trades association of its own and become a member of the CMA.
To that end, the CMA was further tasked to assist Anguilla, Montserrat and St. Kitts & Nevis to form their own marine associations and to encourage the relatively new marine association in Dominica to become part of the CMA.
In return, the CMA requested that the OECS create liaisons with other yachting countries in the Eastern Caribbean including Barbados and Trinidad & Tobago plus the French islands of Guadeloupe, Martinique, St. Barth's and St. Martin. OECS officials identified some critical actions that need to be implemented to effectively unlock the sector's untapped potential.
They include development of human resources, strategic scheduling of more sailing events to extend the yachting season, development of an OECS Marine Awareness Guide, strengthening of the legislative framework for management of the yachting sector, and organization of ajoint presence at international boat shows.
The meeting on the OECS yachting sector was supported by the European Union under the 10th EDF Economic Integration and Trade of the OECS Region project. That project seeks to contribute to the establishment of the OECS Economic Union as a single economic and financial space through the development of a harmonized policy, legislative, regulatory and administrative framework, and the enhancement of the institutional capacity and export competitiveness of OECS economie Before the final session, the delegates were taken on a tour of the main marine areas of Tortola, one of the most popular yachting destinations in the Caribbean.
For more information contact info@caribbeanmarineassociation.com.
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