Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, fellow contestants, judges, a pleasant evening and a warm welcome to you.

The topic that is to be addressed today is, “The behavioural practises of many Vincentians are unbecoming for a top rated tourist destination.”

Is this so? To this statement I would say no. According to the online free dictionary website, behavioural is defined as an individual’s action to internal and or external stimuli. So really do you think that we the citizens of St.Vincent and the Grenadines are to be blamed for our countries present rating as a tourist destination?

    St.Vincent and the Grenadines is rated fifth amongst nine destinations on CNN’s world’s Top destination for 2012, and third among 12 destinations listed by Travel and leisure. This cannot be denied but to make a statement such as the one which was mentioned at the beginnings is unremitting. Being a top tourist destination is not determined by flaws and behaviour, but can be determined by the promotions, marketing and advertisements of the country.

     There is no country in the world that is free of behavioural practises that are unbecoming. When tourists listen or read the Caribbean News Now, CNN, no behavioural problems are mentioned. Travel expert Robert Reed and others looked at what we have to offer: Best Sailing and Yachting, Best Honeymoon Destination, Leading Boutique hotel and Leading Resort hotel.

       Take for instance the filming of Pirates of the Caribbean, Celebrities like Tom Cruise, Mick Jaeger and Beyonce are just some of the few celebrities who have touched our shores and were able to be blessed with our tropical gifts. Even more recently Prince William and Kate, choose to enjoy their honeymoon on the shores of St.Vincent and the Grenadines instead of their own country which was rated just one place above us. So you see citizens what is it not to like about this tropical paradise called Hairouna “Land of the Blessed?” this famous name given to us by our ancestors.

    Again why should we as Vincentians really be blamed? Have the government of St.Vincent and the Grenadines thought about advertising this little tropical island almost unknown to people. To say we are mostly represented on the world map as a dot, there are rarely any maps at all that states our name. So again is this the fault of the Vincentians? I think not! I think that if we were to focus on strategically marketing our tiny island paradise our ratings would increase.

Having invested millions of dollars in  developing tourism sites such Mt Wynne, Black Point Tunnel and the newly introduced resort at Buccament, we should do ourselves the justice of effectively marketing our own product.
Although the resort is known by a few persons outside the Caribbean we cannot just sit and depend on them to share their experience with others! No we are to promote our own country!

Montreal Gardens, Layou Petro glyphs and the Donald trump golf course these are also just a few of our attraction  sites that the government of St.Vincent and the Grenadines has pooled our finances into in an attempt to contribute to the development of our tourism sector.  These are waiting the eyes of foreigners to behold.

The opposing side may say that too much littering makes Kingstown untidy for tourists especially those who comes on cruise ship. But I strongly object and it is my opinion that the location of the Cruise ship berth is a big problem. According to Wikipedia online website a Cruise Ship Berth is defined as an area where cruise ships dock and boards passengers. Yes its located only a few minutes from the heart of Kingstown, which is used as a main tourist income for us, it is also facilitated with an attractive terminal building with a range of services for the cruise ship passengers, but the first things you see as you leave the Cruise Ship Berth are those little shacks as one exits the location or those and I quote ‘weed men’. So isn’t it time for the government of St.Vincent and the Grenadines to get up and help those people living in poverty to improve their living conditions. Instead we as Vincentians are being faulted for the few unattractive areas of this our country.

On the 27th July, 2012  an article written by Kevin J in the Vincentian newspaper stated that, and I quote “Good police work depends on information and citizens can help with providing information when they are in reach of it, so let’s make St.Vincent and the Grenadines a safe place by joining in and fight against crime” end of quote. These words simply prove that not all Vincentians commit crimes but there are those who abide by the law and can be classified as kind hearted people. Recently Published in this same newspaper was also another article about the assistance that our country received from the government and citizens of the United States of America. The honourable Dr.Ralph Gonsalves outlined and I quote “In addition to improving local defence, the vessels will be available for use by the regional security system centres” end of quote. This is again proof that our county is improving on its security level so that our tourists may be able to enjoy a peaceful holiday on rides, whether by a taxi or just cycling for example. They will gain a wonderful and unforgettable memory of the nature sites around St.Vincent and the Grenadines.

Fellow Vincentians, as customary some places will always stand out above others when it comes to breath taking views and unforgettable memories. Again I will take my stand when I say the behavioural practises of Vincentians are not to be blamed for our ratings as a tourist destination, but how then if our tropical nature isn’t fully promoted can we be at the top of the rating chart!

Judges, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girl, fellow contestants, let it be known that our country St.Vincent and the Grenadines is a small country with an abundance of magnificent sites just waiting to be viewed by tourists. Many people may say and I quote ‘that’s just ah dot’ but the truth is, great things come in small packages. Although there maybe a few crimes involving tourists, the actions of us Vincentians should not be blamed. As the old saying goes and I quote ‘one mangy sheep, spoils the whole flock’, we should not let one or two minor incidents throw us off track but we should perpetually promote this lovely paradise of many treasures so that our treasures may be found. I Thank You!