Good evening, distinguished guests, friends, media and stakeholders of St Kitts and Nevis’ Citizenship by Investment Programme.
I wish to adopt the protocol that has been so aptly established, but permit me to acknowledge in our presence this evening:
The Honourable Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, Dr Terrance Drew, The Honourable Attorney General and Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs, Garth Wilkin, and Dr. Marcus Natta, Cabinet Secretary.
Allow me firstly, to express my sincerest gratitude to all of you for joining us here in Dubai tonight as we showcase St Kitts and Nevis and update you on the latest developments as it relates to the Citizenship by Investment Programme.
As the Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation and Urban Development, I wish to take this opportunity to extend a warm invitation to each one of you to our beautiful Federation.
In St Kitts and Nevis, we are known for our compelling travel experiences, our natural beauty, exciting events and exceptional hospitality.
With this in mind, we continue to experience tourism success, as seen this past summer with the St Kitts Music Festival, as well as the successfully executed St Kitts and Nevis Restaurant Week in July.
Recently, we received awards from the World Travel Awards as the Caribbean’s Leading Dive Destination and the Best Caribbean Hiking Destination from the Caribbean Journal.
St Kitts and Nevis continues to enjoy high visitor ratings, as we offer rich experiences steeped in culture and history.
St Kitts and Nevis has much to offer beyond the sun, sand, and sea. The destination boasts approximately 250 historical sites dotted with 68 plantations and breathtaking vistas that can be taken in from anywhere on the island.
This past August, our government lifted all COVID-19 travel requirements and our Federation now welcomes all travellers regardless of vaccination status. Visitors also no longer require negative COVID-19 tests prior to their arrival.
All hotels on the islands are now open as well. Experiential tours and offerings are now operating at full capacity. Airlift from the US, Canada and the UK continue to be available, facilitating travel into the Federation.
We continue to revisit and innovate our current tourism offerings. We are also keeping a close eye on travel shifts across the globe and regularly analyse how St Kitts and Nevis can insert themselves within these current trends.
In terms of travel accommodations, both islands in keeping with our sustainable tourism agenda, offer “green” and eco-friendly options including Oualie Beach Resort in Nevis, which has received Green Globe Certification, as well as Belle Mont Farm and Sunset Reef both on St Kitts.
Belle Mont Farm continues to be a leader in the sustainability space, sourcing as much as possible from the land, forest and sea that surrounds the hotel.
The new Sunset Reef Hotel has already received international recognition for its eco-friendly practices, boasting truly advanced geo-thermal technological management systems for energy, an eco-friendly sewage treatment plant and cleaning products, and a cutting-edge filtration system that provides guests with clean drinking water while eliminating plastic bottles.
This is just the start of how sustainability and eco-tourism will set St Kitts and Nevis apart from other Caribbean destinations.
As we emerge from the COVID-19 era, I am honoured to lead our tourism industry into this new chapter, to prioritize the tourism rebuilding process and encourage economic development.
In addition, as we move forward, our goal is to diversify our products and services to offer opportunities to both our visitors and potential investors to our Federation, making our destination one of the best places to live, work and invest.
As we begin on this new journey, I invite you to “Venture Deeper” and discover the exciting investment opportunities that await in St Kitts and Nevis.
Thank you.