Stakeholders Meet to Discuss Cruise Sector Issues

BASSETERRE (9th December, 2010) – Top officials from the St. Kitts Police High Command and the St. Kitts Tourism Authority met on Tuesday with taxi operators, unique tour vendors and monkey vendors to discuss pertinent issues affecting the cruise sector.

The St. Kitts Tourism Authority facilitated this meeting, which was held at the Arrival Hall of Port Zante as part of its efforts to collaborate with stakeholders on the improvement of the quality of the cruise visitor experience.

With cruise visitor arrivals in St Kitts expected to increase by more than 20% by the end of this cruise season, the Tourism Authority has been working hard on improving the taxi dispatching process and security arrangements at popular tourist areas

Speaking at the lively and informative meeting was the Chief Executive Officer of the St. Kitts Tourism Authority, Rosecita Jeffers, Act Commissioner of Police, Stafford Liburd, Assistant Commissioner Police Ian Queely and Inspector of Traffic, Cromwell Henry.

CEO Jeffers said the meeting was indeed a very successful meeting in that information was shared, and everyone present agreed that all stakeholders have to work together to further develop the cruise sector.

“The St. Kitts Tourism Authority cannot do this alone, and this is indeed a shared responsibility,” Jeffers said. “We are competing with the rest of the world and so we have to improve the way we do business with the cruise-lines and the way we deliver service to our visitors. That is why the St. Kitts Tourism Authority will continue to engage all of our stakeholders and experts to protect St Kitts’ reputation as a safe and desirable cruise destination.”

Jeffers pointed out that the performance of the cruise sector will continue to be robust only if all stakeholders work untiringly together to further improve St. Kitts’ attractiveness and competitiveness for cruising, while sustaining the gains made to date.

“Every individual customer must experience only the best that St Kitts has to offer,” Jeffers said.

For their part, representatives of the police high command saw this meeting as being timely and extremely important in their effort to work closely with the tourism industry. The police officials in attendance underscored the need for all stakeholders to be a part of the effort to keep St. Kitts safe and secure and to ensure that everyone was working together for the common good of the industry.

All present at the meeting were given the opportunity to ask questions, share any concerns and give recommendations on how to improve the quality of the cruise visitor experience.

Also at the meeting was the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of International Transport and Tourism, Patricia Martin, top officials from the St. Christopher Air and Sea Port Authority, and the Urban Development Corporation.

The meeting was chaired by Melnecia Marshall, Product Standards and Cruise Manager of the St. Kitts Tourism Authority.