This occasional newsletter highlights events and stories about innovation in sustainable development for rural, remote and island regions. We want to change the discourse to demonstrate how islandness can be a driver for innovation.
About Diannille Taylor-Williams
Diannille Taylor-Williams is a recognized leader in sustainable tourism, currently serving as Director in the Ministry of Tourism for St. Kitts. With over a decade of dedicated service to climate-conscious and community-driven tourism development, she has led strategic efforts to integrate sustainability into tourism policy, planning, and partnerships across the Federation.
She is also the founding Chair of the St. Kitts Sustainable Destination Council (SDC), a public-private stakeholder body established in 2013 to champion sustainability in tourism. Under her leadership, the SDC won the World Travel & Tourism Council’s 2019 Tourism for Tomorrow Award for Destination Stewardship, positioning St. Kitts as a regional model in sustainable destination management.
Through the SDC, Diannille spearheaded the national movement to reduce single-use plastics starting in 2017, launching initiatives such as repurposing plastic competitions, coastal cleanups, and public education. Notably, St. Kitts-Nevis Restaurant Week, a flagship agrotourism initiative that links tourism with local agriculture and culinary heritage, was birthed under the SDC’s work.
She has coordinated and delivered several capacity-building programs, including the Sustainable Tourism Professionals training, later localized as Destination Guardian training, and the ‘I Speak St. Kitts Culture & Heritage’ series and tours — aimed at increasing awareness of the island’s rich history and identity among tourism service providers.
