St. Croix Chamber President Addresses Annual Membership Meeting of Hotel & Tourism Association

ST. CROIX, Virgin Islands, U.S. - April 10, 2013 - PRLog -- ST. CROIX, USVI –St. Croix Chamber of Commerce President, Mark Eckard, addressed the Annual Membership Meeting of the St. Croix Hotel & Tourism Association tonight, April 9, 2013, held at the Divi Casino conference center.

Eckard unflinchingly issued a call to action to those assembled. “For too long, St. Croix’s various nonprofit interest groups and trade associations have discussed our problems. Probably everyone in this room knows more and talks more about refineries and energy production than any of us ever wanted to know or talk about. We’re done talking. It’s time for groups like ours to move from policy discussion to political action. No more talking. It’s time for meaningful, organized political action.”

Eckard continued, “We must heighten the level of debate in the Territory. The opportunities facing St. Croix are worthy of nothing less than serious, professional, thoughtful discussion. It’s up to us to create the space necessary for such discussion to take place. We must communicate, organize and mobilize.”

The Chamber President lauded the tourism marketing efforts and successes of the de Jongh administration and, particularly, Department of Tourism Commissioner Beverly Nicholson-Doty. “I don’t apologize or soft-pedal The Chamber’s support and gratitude to the current administration. Governor de Jongh has accomplished a lot for us on St. Croix during his time in office. Commissioner Nicholson-Doty’s success in opening St. Croix to the Danish tourism market is extraordinary – not to mention the fact that I regularly get calls from all around the States with people telling me they just saw a commercial for St. Croix. That didn’t used to happen.”

St. Croix Hotel & Tourism Association member Wendy Solomon spoke of the need for the two groups to work together while introducing the Chamber President. Eckard reciprocated in his speech, saying, “Individually, there is great power in each of our organizations. Together, however, we have tremendous power. We look forward to continuing the dialogue we have started tonight. Together, we can focus our business community on the opportunities and possibilities that lie just barely ahead of us and our beautiful island.”