ATLANTA, GA JUNE 03, 2013:- “The Business of tourism must be the business of all of us.” So said Abdullah Skerritt, Director of e-Busines Operations with the St. Kitts Tourism Authority, in a recent address to St. Kitts-Nevis nationals and other members of the Caribbean Diaspora in Atlanta, Georgia.
Mr. Skerritt was a guest speaker at the opening ceremony of the 8th annual celebration of Caribbean Month, hosted by the Georgia Caribbean American Heritage Coalition at City Hall on June 02, 2013.
In his delivery, the Tourism Officer spoke of the strides we have made in cruise tourism with passenger arrivals increasing by some 400% and the average per passenger spend increasing by 100% over the past six seasons. Mr. Skerritt pointed out that this doubling of the passengers’ expenditure came at a time when there was actually a 2% decline in the Caribbean overall.
He also advised that new developments like the Kittitian Hill and Park Hyatt projects will increase our room inventory and enhance our stay-over experience. According to Mr. Skerritt, all of this translates into tangible benefits to the man on the street and the Federation in general. He challenged the Diaspora to stay informed about the activities on the ground and all aspects of the Federation’s tourism product so that they can all represent us accurately and play their part in promoting this vital industry.
In closing, Mr. Skerritt proposed that all nationals of St. Kitts & Nevis ought to act as ambassadors, telling the story about our beloved twin-island Federation. He reminded them that we are all from one nation, and not just two separate islands as we sometimes tend to suggest. He said that as we approach the 30th anniversary of our independence, it is our patriotic duty and a moral imperative to tell the story of our land of beauty and to tell it well.