Basseterre, St. Kitts (SKNIS): Under the leadership of the Honourable Dr Terrance Drew-led administration, St. Kitts and Nevis has made significant advancements in the tourism sector during the 2023-2024 season.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, Tivanna Wharton said that substantial progress has been achieved, with notable developments and initiatives implemented to bolster the tourism industry of the nation.
During the radio and television show ‘InFocus’ on February 14, 2024, Ms. Wharton stated that last year the stayover visitors were approximately 133,000, noting that “this again suggests that we are well on the way to pre-COVID numbers, which is our benchmark at this time.”
“We only recently opened in 2022, so technically that has only been one year of us reopening our borders and allowing visitors to come and I think we have done extremely well in just one year to get those numbers up,” Permanent Secretary Wharton added.
She continued that this success is a reflection of the work that is being done under the current administration.
The work, she explained, has led to several developments and initiatives that were implemented by the ministry post-pandemic, saying, “We have actively engaged marketing companies, promoting the unique experiences that our destination has to offer. We’ve collaborated with airlines, we’ve collaborated with our travel partners and international organizations as a means of really ensuring and solidifying our position with them.”
The Permanent Secretary expressed that once these relationships are maintained, the Federation will be on its way to return to pre-pandemic numbers.