Let tourists pay to visit Stollmeyer’s Castle

Couva North MP Ramona Ramdial. FILE PHOTO
Couva North MP Ramona Ramdial. FILE PHOTO

COUVA North MP Ramona Ramdial has called on Tourism Minister Randall Mitchell to have his ministry implement a fee for tourists visiting Stollmeyer’s Castle.

In a statement yesterday, Ramdial said eventually the aim should be to fully monetise and make all local heritage sites self-sustainable while promoting TT’s Tourism product into a strong and viable revenue stream.

“Across the world it can be found that World Heritage and Cultural Sites

prove to be quite a viable prospect for promoting and attracting tourists through effective

destination marketing strategies and also revenue generation by the charging of fees to enter,

view and experience local history, culture and arts.”

At the reopening of Stollmeyer’s Castle last week, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley said the castle will be put to good use and will not be a free-for-all. School children will be allowed to visit to learn and appreciate the country’s history, arts and culture.

The budget for the restoration of Stollmeyer’s Castle was $48 million, and work on the restoration of Whitehall is expected to be completed soon.

Stollmeyer’s Castle, also called Killarney, will be used as an arts and cultural centre and it has been placed under the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and the Arts. It will be managed by the same board that manages the National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA).

The castle will be used for historical guided tours, exhibitions related to art, other exhibitions provided on a fee basis via an approved criteria.

It can also be used as a venue for small events with a limited number of people being allowed to preserve the premises and fees will be determined by the NAPA management committee.

Comments

"Let tourists pay to visit Stollmeyer’s Castle"

More in this section