page_title: Union Island
section_title: Tourism
hierarchical_section_title: Union Island / Tourism
caption_attribution_description: English: A picture of three boats participating in the Union Island Sailing Regatta May 2007 - showing the south shore Union Island in the background. Union Island is part of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Picture by Iain Grant, May 2007. Used in Union Island Wikipedia citation
context_page_description: Union Island is part of the nation of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. It has a surface of 9 square kilometres and lies about 200 km west-southwest of Barbados and is within view of the islands of Carriacou and the mainland of Grenada, which lie directly south.
  Clifton and Ashton are the two principal towns. The island is home to just under 3,000 residents. The official language is English, but French and German are spoken by some merchants in Clifton as well.
  The island has an airport, Union Island Airport, which has domestic flights to Saint Vincent and some of the Grenadines and international flights to Barbados, Carriacou, Grenada and Martinique.
context_section_description: The tourism industry plays an increasing role in Union Island's economy. A large number of yachts visit the island each year, often on their way to the nearby Tobago Cays.
  There are a number of local guest houses, including St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church, the Anchorage Yacht Club, and a small hotel at the Bougainvilla in Clifton.
  Turtle Watch is conducted by the Union Island Environmental Attackers (UIEA), a local environmental NGO that works to preserve the clean environment on Union Island. Turtle Watching is done during the Turtle Closed Season, which runs from March 1 to July 31. The Closed Season is the period in which the catching or killing of turtles for consumption is forbidden.
  There are also a number of bars and restaurants on the island.
  A key feature of the Union Island region is the Tobago Cays National Marine Park. The Tobago Cays are a group of small, uninhabited islands surrounded by reefs. Snorkeling, scuba diving and swimming with sea turtles are offered.
  The Union Island Sailing Club sponsors two sailing dinghies that participate in local regattae. The club is trying to help Unionites rediscover the sailing skills of earlier generations.
  In recent years Union Island's tourism industry has suffered from a spate of crime against tourists and scam artists. Although the island benefits from a tight-knit community no longer found in most parts of the Caribbean and any crimes tend to be petty theft.
caption: Local sailboats compete in regatta, Union Island in background
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