News
TRH visit Tobago and attend church with the local Anglican community
6th March 2008
The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall travelled to the island of Tobago today and worshipped with an Anglican church community on the third day of their tour of the Caribbean.
The church service, attended by some 200 members of the local Anglican community, was led by The Rt Rev Calvin Bess, the Bishop of Trinidad and Tobago, at the island’s oldest church St Patrick’s, which was consecrated in 1843.
Their Royal Highnesses were welcomed by children from a nearby school and around 30 local community leaders.
During the service, The Prince was praised by The Bishop for his tireless efforts in highlighting the global issue of climate change.
Yesterday His Royal Highness gave a speech at a dinner hosted by The President of Trinidad and Tobago on the importance of protecting the environment.
The Prince called for a Commonwealth partnership to create a Commonwealth network; a means to link climate change champions from individual companies to share ideas and expertise, and to spread Best Practice.
The Caribbean has been affected by rising sea levels in recent years, posing a threat to supplies of drinking water.
Afterwards Their Royal Highnesses travelled to the Tobago Marine Research Centre where they met people involved in coral reef protection.
They learnt about the work of the Buccoo Reef Trust, a non-profit organisation set up to protect the Tobago’s marine environment and to promote sustainable marine tourism.
Afterwards The Prince and The Duchess travelled to the Coco Reef Hotel to meet people involved in Tobago’s eco-tourism and responsible tourism industries. They were welcomed by tambrin drummers and local dancers.
They met representatives from the Travel Foundation, an independent UK charity which began operations in Tobago in 2004, which aims to help the travel industry manage tourism more sustainably.
The Prince and The Duchess then viewed a display of Travel Foundation projects which illustrate the Foundation’s work to promote environmentally sustainable tourism.
Tourists from the United Kingdom account for more than 60 per cent of all tourists to the island.
Together with the government of Trinidad and Tobago, the tourism industry and local conservation groups, The Travel Foundation has developed a programme of activities to make the impact of tourism as positive as it can be and is involved in such projects as tourist education, reef demarcation buoys, agro-tourism links (between hotels and local farmers), a school gardens project and micro enterprises. Their Royal Highnesses saw products such as honey, herbs and local handicrafts.
Chief Executive Sue Hurdle said: "We know that the Prince of Wales takes a great interest in sustainability and are delighted that he has chosen to take a close look at what is being done here in Tobago to enhance the positive effects of tourism from Britain to the Caribbean, and reduce the negative impacts."
The Travel Foundation Tobago has been set up to run the Foundation’s programmes, and is run locally by a steering committee including local hoteliers, restaurateurs, fishermen, farmers and NGOs. Click here to visit the Travel Foundation website.
Later The Prince and The Duchess departed from Pigeon Point for St Lucia to continue their 11 day tour of the Caribbean.