Sports Minister Reports on CPL’s Success

ZIZ News — The Minister of Sport is reporting that the final leg of the Limacol Caribbean Premier League, which was held at St. Kitts’ Warner Park, was a huge success based on preliminary figures.

Speaking at this week’s Conversation for Progress Meeting, the Hon. Glenn Phillip gave details, on the number of persons who attended the matches in St. Kitts.

“Preliminary data reflect that attendance for all of the games, except the final, was over 70,000 people,” he said. “That is the three doubleheaders, the Beefy’s Bash and the two semi finals and if you have to take it into context, the entire CPL attendance last year for all of the islands including Trinidad, Jamaica, St. Lucia and Antigua was 250,000 and we in eight games that have been recorded had over 70,000 and that number is exclusive of the final game.”

Minister Phillip said the tournament also had a positive impact on the local economy and the regional travel industry.

He said, “Fans came from Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, the Virgin Islands and even from the US. They were complimented by a significant showing of UK visitors and as a result, the CPL period resulted in significant business in the local hospitality sector; hotel accommodation was sold out; vehicles were rented out, restaurants were active and tour operators were gainfully busy.”

Also worthy of mention is the fact that the nine CPL matches played at Warner Park were broadcast to over 220 million homes around the world.

The minister said his government is now looking at ways of capitalizing on this exposure.

“This type of reach has created greater awareness of the St. Kitts and Nevis brand and as a government we shall begin to explore ways to convert this awareness into increased numbers of traditional event and sports visitors to the federation of St. Kitts and Nevis.”