Nov. 4, 2003 – Tuesday was Caribbean Tourism Day, according to a release distributed on Monday by the government's mainland publicity agency, Martin Public Relations.
The theme for the 2003 observance was "Tourism: A Driving Force for Job Creation and Social Harmony in the Caribbean."
The release quoted Jean Holder, secretary general of the Barbados-based Caribbean Tourism Organization, as saying: "Caribbean Tourism Day is meant to get the entire Caribbean to reflect upon the impact that the increasingly important tourism industry has on the socio-economic life of the Caribbean and its peoples and to promote an awareness of the benefits of tourism to individual member countries of the Caribbean Tourism Organization and the region as a whole."
To mark the day locally, the release stated, the Tourism Department was to distribute bumper stickers from its offices that read "One Destination, Three Beautiful Islands! The United States Virgin Islands, St. Croix / St. John / St. Thomas."
The release stated that tourism is the leading industry and employer in the region. Locally, it said, the territory has "a strong industry" in tourism that provides "many job and business opportunities."
Tourism Commissioner Pamela Richards said in the release that the day would be "a time to acknowledge everyone that contributes countless hours of work and unwavering dedication to what has become the No. 1 industry in the U.S. Virgin Islands." She added: "The success of our tourism product depends on our people; so, I take this time to express my sincere gratitude for everyone's efforts."
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