Tourism Ministry Tests No-Solicitation Zone At Port Zante
BASSETERRE — The Ministry of Tourism removed the barricades at Port Zante on Thursday and designated the courtyard a non-solicitation zone as a trial run, officials announced at a press conference at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort marking the start of Tourism Month.
Marsha Henderson, Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation, International Transport, Employment and Labour and Urban Development, said the test was already underway as she spoke. She appealed to taxi operators, retail vendors, private vendors and hair braiders at the port to work with the ministry and give feedback after the test.
“We welcome your feedback,” Henderson said. “There will be growing pains as we enter this next new chapter, but we can no longer operate under conditions that have challenged us for years.”
She said the aim is not to penalize any group. “The goal is not to disenfranchise any group, but to improve the experience for all stakeholders and all our guests at Port Zante,” Henderson said.
She tied the changes to preparations for P&O Cruises, which is scheduled to begin turnaround operations in 2027. “This is no longer a question of whether we make these changes,” she said.
Tivanna Wharton, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, International Transport and Civil Aviation, said guests leaving the arrival hall should not be solicited in the courtyard. She said the barricades had funneled visitors away from the courtyard stores, while taxi and tour operators believed being closer to guests benefited them.
Wharton said guests have described a chaotic scene on arrival at Port Zante, and that the ministry wants a welcoming experience that encourages passengers to return. She said some days bring five or six ships into port.
She stressed that the exercise is temporary. She said stakeholders were told that “today is a trial for us to determine the way forward and if this is a feasible option.”
Wharton said ministry officials had been told some operators did not comply with the rules, and that the matter would be addressed shortly.
Asked during the question-and-answer session how operators would be kept from encroaching on one another, Wharton said the ministry would conduct a gap analysis and make adjustments. She said it would also need stronger support from the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force and port staff. She said operations at Port Zante are generally controlled, with no major issues.
She said the area outside the splash zone on the eastern side of the port is now a construction zone, and that space has been identified near the private parking on the east for taxi and tour operators in the meantime.
