Welcome to all Statian and Statia’s friends! STDF would like to acquaint you with their most recent BlogSpot “I LOVE STATIA”, specially designed for viewers like you.Keeping you abreast on tourism related happenings! STDF encourages browsers to feel free and send us your travel stories, photographs or other comments. Expect regular updates! See you soon.
Seeing our island as a
tourist destination and tourism being one of the economic pillars of our economy, we must take into consideration
how important sustainability and accessibility are today. The Government of our
Island takes pleasure in welcoming you to our island and to the 5th annual
Statia Sustainable Conference (SSC).
When we put our minds
together there is no obstacle that can’t
be overcome. I anticipate, by using the previous
conference as a benchmark, that this conference too will bear fruits and
enhance entrepreneurship, resulting in the growth of small and medium
businesses.
Let me give a special
welcome to the keynote speaker, Mr. Ian
Blanchard, Managing Director/Coach CILC Action of Barbados. Make use of his
passion for helping businesses be successful.
Often we only associate the term coach with sports, but sports coaches are not only there during the sporting event but are often involved in the day to day
activities of the athletes. It makes
sense to have a business coach also who guides
businesses in its development.
On a final note, please
actively participate in this conference, because you are encouraged to be a participant
rather than a spectator.
Welcome to the Historical Gem of the Caribbean, St.
Eustatius, and welcome to the 5th annual Statia Sustainable Conference. My name
is Chandé Eboni Rivers, a 19 year old Hospitality Management student, who
attends College in The Netherlands and is fortunate enough to be currently
doing Internship at a hotel on St. Maarten and St. Eustatius. Since July 27th,
2016 I have been crowned Statia’s Senior Carnival Queen. My family and I are
extremely proud of this accomplishment, but more so honored to be considered an
Ambassador for the island of my birth. Coming from a bloodline of
Entrepreneurs, I am blessed and driven to become a successful Entrepreneur one
day, and in keeping with my area of study, hope to join the Tourism Industry on
my Island in the near future and contribute the knowledge and experience I have
acquired during my years abroad. To the visitors, especially those who may be
visiting us for the first time, I hope that you have considered leaving some
space in your schedule to see our beautiful island, perhaps; hike the quill,
take a dive or enjoy some local music and food. I wish you all an enjoyable,
informative and productive conference.
ANNOUNCING IAN BLANCHARD AS KEYNOTE AT THE 5TH SUSTAINABLE CONFERENCE
Ian Blanchard
ST. EUSTATIUS--St. Eustatius Tourism Development Foundation (STDF) together with St. Eustatius Business Association (STEBA) and St. Eustatius National Park Stenapa, will host the St. Eustatius Sustainable Conference. Ian Blanchard will be the opening keynote speaker at the annual conference, which will be held at Mike van Putten Youth Center September 26-27, from 9:00am to 5:00pm.
Blanchard will conduct a workshop on the second day of the conference dubbed “Driving Sustainable Leadership.” The conference is designed to challenge tourism planners, policymakers, stakeholders and the general public to develop and implement strategies and practices that can sustain Statia’s limited resources. This year’s conference theme will focus on the island’s accessibility by air and sea connections. Blanchard holds a Higher National Diploma in Telecommunications and a Master of Business Administration from Brunel University in London. He is a businessman, executive coach, and facilitator. Blanchard has served as Chief Executive of Cable & Wireless in Dominica between 2002 and 2004 and in Grenada from 2004 and 2008. In Dominica, he spearheaded the preparation for competition and initiated a number of enterprises, including the now famous Creole in the Park festival. Among his first task in Grenada was to lead the team through rebuilding the telecommunications network after the devastation caused by Hurricane Ivan in 2004. In 2008, Blanchard was called upon to lead Cable & Wireless’ transition into LIME as the company’s Executive Vice-President Transformation.
About the Statia Sustainable Conference
The Statia Sustainable Conference is designed to challenge tourism planners, policymakers, stakeholders and the general public to develop and implement strategies and practices that can sustain Statia’s limited resources.
About the St. Eustatius Tourism Development Foundation
The St. Eustatius Tourism Development Foundation is the agency responsible for promoting and developing tourism on St. Eustatius. The mission is to get the island Government to lend greater priority to tourism by providing adequate funding to effectively and efficiently promote tourism in key markets; ensuring a quality tourism product by introducing and controlling the minimum standard requirements; preparing future generations to take on greater responsibilities within this sector by means of teaching tourism as a subject on levels of the education system.
The STDF office is located at Fort Oranje, Oranjestad, St. Eustatius, Dutch Caribbean. Tel/Fax: +599 318 2433,
Not sure if you noticed, but there's something great
happening on St. Eustatius! With the economic downturn, we have managed to
produce a new wave of young Entrepreneurs. Many youngsters are on the search
for a better way and are creating the small businesses to help solve many of
the problems we are facing along with providing much-needed services!
For those of you who have that burning feeling inside to
create something new/bold/innovative. Act on that feeling! Never be afraid to
try something new. Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark... A large group
of professionals built the Titanic. #ProudStatian #ExcitedForTheFuture #Success
STATIA
GET’S READY FOR TASTE OF THE CULTURES ON MAY 26
In photo: Charlie lopes, Staff member STDF
ORANJESTAD, St. Eustatius (May 18, 2016) -- St.
Eustatius Tourism Development Foundation (STDF) and the St. Eustatius Business
Association (STEBA) will host the first Statia Taste of the Cultures event on
Thursday, May 26, at the dock in Lower Town, starting at 6:00pm. A parade of
flags, choreographed by St. Eustatius Historical Gem Dancers, will start off
the event.
The
taste of the Cultures is billed as a community experience, a cross-cultural
event, exhibiting multiple nationalities. Ten groups will participate in the
first event representing, among others, Curaçao, Aruba, Suriname, St. Kitts and
Nevis, China, Trinidad, Dominican Republic, Barbados, and Statia with an
international twist.
“We
want to create an atmosphere where all cultures on the island can unite, for
united we are stronger,” said Winston Fleming, STEBA President.
“From
tasting snacks and having a cold drink from various cultures to engaging in
conversations with like-minded people from all walks of life, is the concept
behind the event,” said Teena Lopes, STDF Public Relations Officer.
“With
the birth of this event, visitors, as well as locals, will have the opportunity
to taste the flavours of various cultures.” “Statia, a tiny island with a
population of around 4000, has over 40 different nationalities. How best to
enjoy each other, then bringing these various cultures together with food, art
and traditions, to learn from each other and above all, taste each other’s
national dishes,” said Maya Leon Pandt, Product Development and Human Resources
Manager.
This
food-filled fun day is part of STDF’s monthly tourism awareness programme. Its
purpose is to increase/build tourism alertness on the island and at the same
time, highlight different aspects of tourism that exists locally. Taste of the
cultures is expected to take place on the last Thursday of the month.
“This
will be an eye-catching extravaganza for all to enjoy. We encourage folks to
come along with the kids and treat their taste buds,” said Fleming.
Product Development and Human Resources Manager Maya Leon-Pandt and Office Assistant Sharmin Turner prior to departure.
TOURISM FOUNDATION ATTENDS HUMAN RESOURCES CONFERENCE ON ANTIGUA
ORANJESTAD, St. Eustatius (May 11, 2016) --St. Eustatius Tourism Development Foundation (STDF) will be attending the eight Tourism Human Resources (HR) Conference, which will be held May 11- 13 at Jolly Beach Resort and Spa in Antigua. The theme of the conference is “Making Excellence a Habit; Service, Loyalty, and Profitability in Caribbean Tourism.
The conference is to bring together tourism practitioners from both the public and private sectors, human-resource professionals, tourism educators/trainers and consultants, as well as tourism and hospitality students of tertiary institutions, to share strategies and best practices on areas and issues affecting the tourism and hospitality sectors, to provide updated information on various aspects of tourism’s development, to enhance skills and to allow opportunities for professional networking.
Product Development and Human Resources Manager Maya Leon-Pandt and Office Assistant Sharmin Turner at the Opening ceremony this morning.
STDF Product Development and Human Resources Manager Maya Leon-Pandt and Office Assistant Sharmin Turner will attend the three-day conference. “I attended the HR Conference before and it has a wealth of information on employee relations especially in the hospitality field. Useful information that applies to everyday working life,” said Pandt.
Attendees can learn from speakers of international and regional acclaim, who will provide information on the development of a sustainable tourism industry to position the Caribbean as a desirable, year-round warm-weather destination. STDF’s public relations officer Teena Lopes said a key part of the conference is the forum where tourism and hospitality students have an opportunity to showcase, in an interactive way, their knowledge of the importance of tourism to the Caribbean.
According to the information listed on the Caribbean Tourism Organization's (CTO) site, onecaribbean.org, This year’s programme will include two interactive and practical master classes facilitated by “very knowledgeable and dynamic” experts. One master class will seek to enhance participants’ understanding and awareness of how the process of continuous improvement can contribute towards the pursuit of service and business excellence while the second master class will delve into the topic of how to increase customer and brand loyalty.
EARTH DAY MESSAGE FROM THE CARIBBEAN TOURISM ORGANIZATION
FRIDAY 22 APRIL, 2016
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados - Today the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) joins the world in recognizing and celebrating Earth Day.
Here at the CTO, our core purpose is to lead sustainable tourism as we strive to make the Caribbean the leading sustainable tourism destination in the world. The tourism sector and the environment are inextricably linked and environmentally responsible tourism is paramount to the sector’s sustainability and overall success.
Tourism must be stewarded and balanced so that the benefits for the environment, the communities it serves, its employees and the economy, outweigh the costs.
Two years ago, we joined the rest of the environmentally-conscious world in lobbying for a new international climate change agreement backed by supportive and where necessary, punitive national initiatives that encourage more responsible environmentally friendly behavior.
At the recently concluded Conference of Parties 21 *(COP21) the Caribbean’s position was clear and we at the Caribbean Tourism Organization endorsed the call for “1.5 to stay alive”. We were thrilled with the news that an agreement had been reached.
Today, at a ceremony at the United Nations, President Barack Obama of the United States and President Xi Jinping of China will be the first to sign the Paris Agreement on climate change, the first day the United Nations accord will be open for government signatures.
This new agreement offers hope. As many of CTO’s members are Small Island Developing States (SIDS), we remain optimistic that the tremendous strides made in Paris will help to ensure that this issue continues to occupy a prominent position on the global agenda.
This year’s Earth Day theme ‘Trees for the Earth’ contributes to three main positives for a better world:
· * The mitigation of climate change and pollution,
· * Protection of biodiversity
· * Supporting community and livelihoods
The Caribbean Tourism Organization pledges to pursue additional creative solutions to the many issues that face us, to benefit our citizens and visitors for generations to come. We hope that you will join us in our pledge and be part of the commitment to be socially and environmentally responsible.
After years of eschewing any/all calls of the wild, I seem to have settled into a once-a-year hiking routine. Earlier this year, I enjoyed a snake-filled solo-trek along The Mastic Trail in Grand Cayman. This followed a 2010 lover’s romp with my wife up and down The Source Trail in Nevis. Both journeys were fun and inspiring in their own special ways, but now, with 2012 just a few short days away, I’m planning an even more uncommon adventure to the very heart of a Caribbean volcano!
Destination:St. Eustatius, the Dutch Caribbean paradise better-known in the islands as Statia.
Volcano: The Quill, which as you can see in the photo above and on the 1795 map below, is the dominant geographic feature on predominantly flat Statia.
NORMAN B. LEVENTHAL MAP CENTER AT THE BPL VIA FLICKR
As a lover of history and all things uncommon/Caribbean, Statia has always appealed to me. The island is super tiny – just 8.1 square miles in size with a population barely pushing 2,500. Even so, this was once one of the wealthiest ports in all of the Caribbean!
In the 18th century, the competing European colonial powers did not trade or engage in any legal commerce among themselves. If you were a French island, you traded with France; Spanish with Spain, etc.
Dutch Statia, though, was different. The local powers that were on the island adopted a neutral stance toward commerce, inviting trade with the French, English, Spanish, Portuguese and anyone else who happened to sail to her shores. Statia’s economy flourished, of course, earning the island a lofty nickname: The Golden Rock.
However, Statia’s neutrality eventually came back to bite the island (and the Netherlands in general) mainly because its arms dealers had no problem supplying American revolutionaries with enough guns and ammo to defeat the British. Some say there would be no United States of America today had it not been for tiny Statia, something the English couldn’t let slide once it lost the 13 Colonies for good. The Fourth Anglo-Dutch War ensued, devastating the Dutch Republic, including little Statia.
It’s a rich history, and one certainly every red-blooded American should be keen on exploring, but as noted above, the hike up and into the Quill is worth the trip as well.
The Quill soars to an elevation of just under 2,000 feet. There are eight different trails around and in (literally) the volcano and the surrounding Quill/Boven National Park, each offering varying levels of difficulty. The shortest, The Bird Observation Trail, only takes 20 minutes, meandering through the Park’s Botanical Garden. It links with The Round the Mountain Trail, which traces the boundary of the Park over a five-hour trek.
Those hikes sound nice, but I’m gearing up for the bigger thrill of combining the Quill and Crater trails.
The Quill Trail starts in upper Oranjestad, Statia’s capital,and takes you to the rim of the volcano in just under an hour. A piece of cake, right? Well, here’s where the fun really starts…
From the rim, you can pick up the Crater Trail, which true to its name, takes you right down to the crater floor inside the Quill, some 273 feet above sea-level. The trail winds around a 90-minute loop in the heart of the crater’s thick rainforest.Imagine the size and lushness of the plant life growing there?! I’ve read that breadfruit, plantains, figs and even edible raspberries can be found to fuel your hike.
There are at least 17 different kinds of orchids, some quite rare on the island. You may also come across iguanas, land crabs, butterflies and exotic birds.
Notice how they don’t say anything about snakes? I’ve read that you might find those too, but like the slithery friends I made in Grand Cayman, they’re said to be non-poisonous, so no worries there.
Love at first sight can be a dangerous thing. There’s just nothing sensible about it, which often means harsh consequences come about because of it.
I know all this, of course… Experienced those harsh consequences a time or two as well.
Still, when it comes to The Old Gin House in St. Eustatius, I just don’t care. I’ve been smitten with the place ever since I first glimpsed her website a couple years ago. I haven’t visited yet, but it’s right near the top of my ever-expanding Caribbean travel wish list. If you’ve ever looked into taking a trip to Statia, then I’m sure you feel the same way too, and not just because there are so few other choices.
The Old Gin House oozes with history and charm, two key elements I love in a hotel. True to its name, and perhaps a bit misleading to the tipplers among us, the property is a faithful reconstruction of an 18th-century building that actually housed a cotton gin. Those bricks you see on its walls, they were once used as ballast by ships calling on the island.
The historic aspects of the hotel are complemented nicely by its location along Oranje Bay, just steps from the ruins of the ancient stone warehouses stemming from the island’s heyday as The Golden Rock. Just up the hill, guests can explore Fort Oranje, the 17th-century citadel from whence the first official salute to what was then a brand new country called the United States of America was made on November 16, 1776.
The history alone is enough to make me want to check-in here, but as you might imagine, there’s a lot more to this special place. Take the rooms, for instance…
