Sports Tourism Soars to New Heights in St. Kitts

UK’s Park Side School in St. Kitts

BASSETERRE – 14th April, 2010 (Tourism Authority): Sports Tourism is soaring to new heights in St Kitts as sportsmen and women from the UK and the major cricketing nations of the world have begun to swarm in to this friendly Caribbean island over the course of the month of April.

In the first two weeks of the month students and their parents from three British schools, and two clubs have been visiting St. Kitts to engage their peers in various sporting competitions.

The touring schools include the Park Side School from Surrey, the Manchester Grammar School, and the Rossall School from Lancashire. The largest group arrived over the Easter weekend from the Dunnington Sports Club with more than 160 members. Dozens of family and friends have joined the mix of enthusiastic touring cricketers, footballers and netballers for a non-stop vacation and festival of sports and relaxation on the sunny Caribbean islands of St Kitts and Nevis.

On the field, the UK sporting visitors are competing against various local St Kitts and Nevis squads and are exchanging gifts and friendships that will be long remembered. When not competing they are enjoying the natural attractions of the twin-island destination, including wind surfing, kayaking, water skiing, sailing and snorkelling.

The UK visitors have also enjoyed one of St. Kitts’ newest attractions, the Sky Safari Tour, which is a zip-line tour that gives thrill seekers a panoramic view of the lush green mountain-side rainforest, neighbouring islands, and nearby historical sites, as they soar through the skies on a state of the art zip-line harness system.

“Sports tourism is now growing impressively as a niche market for us” Said Senator Ricky Skerritt, Minister of Tourism and International Transport, “In St Kitts we have combined our investments in modern sports infrastructure with the growing demand for pre-season activity for visiting teams and fans. The good news is now spreading of our island’s comfortable warm weather, natural beauty, rich heritage and welcoming and talented people, which together have produced a signature blend of cultural and recreational experiences for visiting sportspersons that can only be found on Caribbean islands like St. Kitts & Nevis.”

Reinforcing its status as a leading Caribbean destination for world class cricket events, St. Kitts is also this month hosting the world’s eight (8) leading Female cricket squads and their fans from around the world in preparation for the ICC World Twenty20 tournament in May, 2010.

The West Indies, Pakistan and Sri Lankan teams have already begun arriving in St Kitts to play in a triangular T20 series as a warm up to the T20 ICC World Cup event which will be staged in St Kitts, St Lucia, Barbados and Guyana next month. The
three women’s teams already on St Kitts will be joined by squads from India, England, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa later in

April for warm up matches of their own, preceding the big ICC T20 event which starts on May 5th at Warner park, St Kitts.

“Hosting such a large world class event is a major priviledge and undertaking for our country. But Warner Park is a very specially designed Caribbean-styled setting for both player and spectator enjoyment in a modern facility,” Skerritt said.

Meanwhile, from June 18-22, 2010, Warner Park, St. Kitts will also host the second international cricket test match between the West Indies men’s team and the touring South African squad.