St. Kitts Celebrates the Resilience and Perseverance of its Tourism Sector during World Tourism Day 2022
Basseterre, St. Kitts, September 27, 2022 – In honour of World Tourism Day 2022, Hon. Marsha Henderson, Minister of Tourism, International Transport, Civil Aviation, Urban Development, Employment, and Labour for St. Kitts & Nevis, reflects on the theme “Rethinking Tourism.” Since her appointment, Minister Henderson has articulated her vision for the future of tourism, focusing on the development and diversification of tourism products, increasing visitor spend, increasing airlift and cruise arrivals, and ultimately delivering a full recovery of the Federation’s tourism sector.
“On this World Tourism Day, St. Kitts is looking ahead. Our destination is “Rethinking Tourism” and has established aggressive plans to reimagine our tourism product and continue driving a positive impact in the year ahead. With this, I am very confident for the future of our destination,” said Minister Henderson. “I am honoured to lead the next stage of recovery with the support of our local and international partners. We will rebuild using our sustainability and cultural pillars as part of our new tourism approach. I am committed to making the destination the most sustainable in the region and improving the industry’s economic impact. World Tourism Day is an opportunity to celebrate our achievements and the future’s exciting opportunities. The tourism future for St. Kitts is very bright.”
Since the mid-2000s, tourism has been the top economic driver in the destination. Over the past two years, St. Kitts has displayed its resilience, thus underscoring the importance of sustainability as a key component of future strategies. St. Kitts is uniquely positioned to promote sustainable tourism as the island houses protected biodiversity and ecosystems, including the Central Reserve Rainforest and Mount Liamuiga. This protected rainforest covers approximately 25% of the island and continues to grow and expand. The destination also boasts eco-friendly accommodations like Belle Mont Farm and the new Sunset Reef.
This past August, St. Kitts ended its vaccination and COVID-19 testing requirements to enter the Federation. With the lifting of these requirements, the destination now welcomes all travellers regardless of vaccination status and will no longer require negative COVID-19 tests before arrival. All hotels on the island are now open as well. Experiential tours and offerings are operating at full capacity. Seasonal airlift from the U.S. and Canada will resume for the 2022-2023 season.
In line with refreshing and updating the destination’s messaging and offerings to attract visitors, the St. Kitts Tourism Authority launched a new ” Venture Deeper ” campaign earlier this month. This campaign reflects the ethos of St. Kitts, which is authentic, magnetic, and soulful. In addition, the Tourism Authority shifted the messaging and visuals to evoke deeper ties to the island and celebrate discovery and curiosity as life-long pursuits in travel. The Tourism Authority hosted an exclusive event in New York City last week to launch ‘Venture Deeper’ to both media and stakeholders, followed by an event in Toronto.
To see the latest travel updates and upcoming events, please visit https://www.stkittstourism.kn/