Caribbean owes Dr. Jean S. Holder for ‘priceless work’

The Caribbean is indebted to Author Dr. the Hon. Jean Holder for his writings in “Caribbean Tourism” and to the Caribbean Development Bank for funding the venture.

Such sentiments were expressed by Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London and Former Senior Caribbean Ambassador, Sir. Ronald Sanders.

Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth
Studies, University of London and Former Senior
Caribbean Ambassador,  Sir Ronald Sanders (left),
alongside Dr. the Hon. Jean Holder.

At the launch of the book, “Caribbean Tourism”, recently at the Caribbean Development Bank, he said, “The Caribbean owes Jean Holder a huge debt of gratitude for writing it and bequeathing it to us... Dr. Jean Holder has given to the Caribbean a priceless work on the history of tourism in the region and its inter-connections to our past, our present and what could be our future.”

He added, “The Caribbean Development Bank also deserves the greatest credit for publishing the book.” He said that by their actions they demonstrate their corporate responsibility.

In his remarks he stated, “By doing so, [the bank recognises] that a real part of its role in the development of our region is to expand the knowledge of the Caribbean’s people and contribute to the debate about critical aspects of our social and economic life.”

With regard to the use of the text throughout the region, like the Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines Dr. the Hon. Ralph Gonsalves, Sanders too advocates for the inclusion of Holder’s newest publication to be used in Caribbean schools.

He said, “I dare say that this book, ‘Caribbean Tourism’ should be a required text for several disciplines of study at our regional universities... Students of international relations, development, Caribbean economies and Caribbean integration, and Caribbean history will all find Jean Holder’s book a vital reference for their research and for the theses they might produce on the Caribbean’s future in all these fields.”

He posited, “While the book’s central focus is tourism, its development, its contribution to the economies of the region and to the well-being of the majority of its peoples, it is more than that.”

Sanders proposed that even Caribbean leaders should read the insightful, informative and inspiring book. He advised, “…Caribbean leaders, busy with the day-to-day affairs of state as they are, would also find it beneficial to find a few minutes to leaf through the book.”

Additionally, Master of Ceremonies, Information Assistant, Colin Cunningham, said that he looks forward to the day when Caribbean students can say “I remember going to school when they studied ‘Caribbean Tourism’,” as he once said, “I studied ‘The People who came’.” (KG)