Tourism Belongs to Everyone — SKN Leaders Call for All Hands On Deck

Mary Shelford, SK’s Junior Minister of Tourism, back on island full of fire after attending the Caribbean Tourism Organisation’s Youth Congress in Barbados. She tell a full house at Antioch Baptist Church: tourism can’t be the job of a few — everyone must play a part.

She say being part of that Congress sharpen her view: youth need a seat at the table now, not later, because they already the engine of change. Shelford remind folks that Tourism Month (October) come up under the theme “Protect Today, Enjoy Tomorrow” — meaning how we treat our beaches, culture, and communities today decide who come visit tomorrow.

She drop that this year’s calendar already packed: school programmes, cleanup campaigns, culinary showcases, cultural nights, stakeholder dialogues, career caravans — all so the message hit every corner. And more importantly, she stress that every local — teachers, cabbies, shopkeepers, artisans — is a tourism ambassador every time they smile, every time they keep their space clean, every time they share a story.

The Permanent Secretary, Tivanna Wharton, echo the message: “Tourism is everybody’s business.” She call for collective effort — not just from hotels and marketers, but from each person who walk the streets, own a yard, or run a stall.

SKN’s 2025 Tourism Month is kicking off strong, making sure the voice of the people not be left behind in the tourism conversation.