St. Kitts and Nevis featured at Taipei International Travel Fair
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Ambassador of St. Christopher (St. Kitts) and Nevis to Taiwan, Her Excellency Jasmine Huggins in the St. Kitts and Nevis booth at the Taipei International Travel Fair (ITF). |
ST. KITTS, NOVEMBER 6, 2010 (CUOPM) – The Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis showcased a historic fortress recognised by the United Nations and its unspoiled beaches at an international travel fair that kicked off in Taipei in Taiwan on Friday.
“This year, we featured the Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park, which is a UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Heritage Site,” said Ambassador of St. Christopher (St. Kitts) and Nevis to Taiwan, Her Excellency Jasmine Huggins, at the Taipei International Travel Fair (ITF).
The British military used African slaves to build the fortress, intermittently between the 1690s and 1790s to ward off attacks by the French.
Ambassador Huggins had her country’s booth at the fair designed as if it were part of the fortress, even including a cannon to add realism to the display. “We want to give an impression as if you are actually coming into the Brimstone Hill,” she told Taiwan’s Central News Agency.
With history part of the Caribbean country’s appeal, Huggins shared one of its many historical nuggets.
“A little known fact is that Alexander Hamilton, the first Treasury Secretary of the United States and one of the founding fathers of the United States, was born on the island of Nevis,” Huggins said.
While promoting its beach as “one of the best kept secrets of the Caribbean” at the fair, St. Kitts actually faces strong competition from other participating countries, such as Thailand.
But the ambassador believed that St. Kitts has an advantage because of its “unspoiled” natural environment. Visitors to the country, she said, will only be bothered by birds and disturbed by lapping waters instead of being surrounded by tourists. She added that the warmth and friendliness of the people in St. Kitts finds no match anywhere, “except perhaps in Taiwan.”
St. Kitts and Nevis is one of the 23 countries that have official diplomatic ties with Taiwan. No visa is needed for Taiwanese citizens traveling to the Caribbean nation.
Now in its 24th year, the travel fair is bigger than ever, with exhibitors from 60 countries.