Amongst the mandate of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Tourism Authority (SVGTA) is the development and implementation of tourism service standards under the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Tourism Authority Act (2007) and Tourism Licensing Regulations (2014). The SVGTA has been working assiduously since its inception in 2009 to enhance and develop tourism services that are integral to the development of the sector and fulfil this mandate. To date, five (5) tourism service standards have been developed:
- Tourist Accommodation Standard
- Code of Practice for Tour Guides
- Code of Practice for Tour Operators
- Code of Practice for Short-Term Vehicle Rentals
- Standard for Taxi Services.
These were developed with the guidance and support of the SVG Bureau of Standards and more importantly with the involvement of the respective service providers.
The Licensing Regulations came into force in January 2014, provides for the categorization of tourism services, registering and the qualification for recognition of such tourism services as Tourism Approved, pending the meeting of the prescribed criteria outlined in the applicable service standards/codes of practice. The aforementioned qualifying recognition is done with the issuing of an annual Tourism Approved License by the SVGTA.
Please note that $20 EC Registration Fee is required at this stage of the licensing process. The subsequent license fee becomes payable when the property has been assessed by the SVGTA Inspection Team and found to be in compliance with the minimum requirements of the National Tourist Accommodation Standard. It is recommended that a copy of the accommodation standard be purchased to familiarize yourself with the minimum requirements at a cost of $40 EC.
Please see our banking information for ease of payment for the above mentioned fees:
Banking Information
Account #: 134594
Business Name: SVG Tourism Authority
Address: 2nd Floor NIS Building, Upper Bay Street, Kingstown, St.Vincent VC0100
Bank’s Name: Bank of St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Bank’s Address: Halifax Street, Kingstown, St.Vincent VC0100
Swift : NCBVVC22
NB: Payment by Wire Transfer: All payments made from a foreign bank must include EC$50, which is to be added to the invoice amount.
Please note that this Tourism Accommodation Approved license is NOT a Quarantine Property license and therefore does not guarantee automatic placement on the Health Services Committee’s listing of approved quarantine properties. The Ministry of Health merely uses our database of Tourism Approved Accommodation as a way of convenience to be able to safely track visitors and returning nationals on quarantine. Therefore; once your property goes through the process of becoming Tourism Approved by the SVGTA you will be required to make a request to be listed as a quarantine property through the CEO of the Tourism Authority to the Health Committee and a decision will be communicated accordingly.
