Above: Bridgetown (CJ Photo)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Barbados Culture Minister Stephen Lashley recently received St Maarten Governor Eugene Holiday for a visit in St Michael last week.

The two sides focused on ways that culture can help diversify the two nations’ economies.

“Tourism and the international business sectors have proven to be fairly susceptible to global recessions and islands like ours are forced to look within to develop more sustainable sectors that could withstand shocks,” Lashley said following the talks.

The Minister, whose portfolio also includes sports and youth, said the cultural industries and sports were “key engines to economic diversification.

Barbados was a pioneer in the region with its landmark Cultural Industries Development Act, which Holiday said was the model on which St Maarten was developing its own cultural industries act.

Holiday said he was “impressed” with Barbados’ stance towards the creative industries in the country.