Transformative Tourism in September
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, October 3, 2022 (SKTA) – St. Kitts experienced transformational and ground-breaking developments in September. The destination’s new brand campaign, “Venture Deeper,” emerged into the global tourism space, eager to showcase St. Kitts from a re-energized perspective. The new campaign encourages travelers to fully immerse themselves into the island’s intricate parts, vibrant culture, rich history, exquisite culinary delights, and thrilling adventures. “Venture Deeper” was introduced in grand style in New York City at LAVAN’s event space. The launch garnered raving reviews for its captivating trailer video, aesthetics, authenticity, and the event’s warm hospitality. The campaign journeyed to Toronto for its Canada launch, achieving exceptionally positive feedback. “Venture Deeper” represents a new era of tourism for St. Kitts. Subsequently, all stakeholders, associated partners, and the local community are encouraged to integrate the new brand campaign into their tourism offerings, as its success heavily relies on a collective effort.
In addition to the success of the new brand launch, the Authority continues to strengthen its commitment to developing its human capital. The St. Kitts Tourism Authority witnessed an extraordinary talent develop into a stellar performer. Mr. Haile Primus, CFBC alumni, having completed his six-week internship at Chef Pino Luongo’s newly opened restaurant “Coco Shack,” successfully attained full-time employment. “We are incredibly proud of Haile for his ability to transform his internship into a full-time career opportunity. His commitment and passion for culinary will inspire many upcoming culinary specialists on our island. We all tip our hats to Haile, and the St. Kitts Tourism Authority will continue to produce opportunities to hone the skills of our youths,” said Deputy CEO at the St. Kitts Tourism Authority, Mrs. Melnecia Marshall.
Patriotism was pivotal in this month’s promotional activities at the St. Kitts Tourism Authority. The marketing team worked rigorously to highlight distinctive national symbols during St. Kitts and Nevis’ 39th Independence celebrations. The national flag, dish, flower, bird, and wear were spotlighted during the Authority’s “Independence Series” for this year’s celebrations. The patriotic videos featured Mrs. Edrice Lewis-Viechweg, Designer of the National Flag; Mr. Renaldo Mills, Executive Chef at Kittitian Hill, Mr. Creighton Pencheon, retired Cultural Director; and Dr. Joylette Woodley Fassale, Designer of National Wear. Promoting the national identities of our islands is imperative, as it re-instills our core values as a tourist destination, which is to remain committed to showcasing our authentic Kittitian culture.
As the 2022-2023 cruise season approaches, the SKTA is committed to providing training to its stakeholders to better align with industry standards. The Authority hosted training for newly Certified Drivers and Tour Guides, providing extensive knowledge on various industry-related topics. The two-day training session held September 27-28 focused on customer service, conflict resolution, destination history, legislation, code of conduct, and destination awareness. Training Professional Mrs. Delcia Bradley-King, Historian Mr. Leonard Stapleton, and Product Development Manager Ms. Goldha Franks facilitated informative presentations.
The destination’s tourism product heavily relies on extensive environmentally friendly practices. The Authority partnered with the Ministry of Environment, Advance Building Maintenance Systems, and St. Kitts & Nevis Clean Seas Project to facilitate a beach clean-up at Cockle Shell Beach. The team was committed to relieving the beach of all plastic, abandoned furniture, and other waste materials threatening the ecosystem. “The Authority continues to promote environmental awareness, a vital component of the destination’s tourism product. All are encouraged to dispose of waste responsibly when visiting island-wide beaches,” said Chief Executive Officer at the St. Kitts Tourism Authority, Mr. Ellison “Tommy” Thompson.
In light of environmentally friendly practices and St. Kitts’s ability to redefine tourism through sustainability, the destination was recently featured in an all-new documentary series on World Tourism Day by Sustainable Travel International. The docu-series filmed by corporate film company Zinc Media showcased various sustainable initiatives hosted on the island, where locals were spotlighted for their commitment and dedication to an all-green campaign. The episode can be streamed online at https://bit.ly/3BSyZX5 and is also available in Sublime Magazine.
Executives at the St. Kitts Tourism Authority continue to promote the destination’s new brand campaign at various trade events and meetings. The team has had a very impactful month, having visited Air Canada Vacations, Tripcentral.ca trade event, and fostering relationships with monthly magazine Toronto Life. A key highlight of their promotional efforts would be the St. Kitts’ x Toronto Life Insiders’ Event held in Canada, which granted the opportunity to showcase the culinary aspect of the destination’s offerings through food, locally produced rum, and entertainment. This event further allowed the opportunity to foster relationships with travel agents, travel influencers, and tourism officials.
Owing to the SKTA’s promotional efforts, the destination garnered considerable publicity on various international platforms, having been featured on Travel Pulse and Travel Pulse Canada, respectively. An article curated by Travel Pulse on the auspicious “World Tourism Day” provided a round-up of how destinations worldwide are celebrating. Out of all the destinations and industry partners, the editor spotlighted St. Kitts in the upfront as a “notable industry player.” The destination was also the only Caribbean destination featured. In addition, “Travel Pulse Canada” featured the destination’s new brand campaign, “Venture Deeper,” which positions St. Kitts as a top voice in the industry.
As the Authority continues to target its source markets and with the destination’s new brand campaign, promotions are refreshed and re-energized. The US Sales Team at the St. Kitts Tourism Authority recently attended Delta Vacations University Trade Show in Atlanta, Georgia. This year’s event was led under the theme “Connect, Experience, and Go Beyond” and features more than 200 hotels, destinations, and product representatives, providing ample opportunities for travel agents and suppliers to meet. The team marketed St. Kitts by promoting extended stay-over, soul-stirring on-island activities, culture, history, romance, and agent incentives.
The Authority will continue to pursue innovation concerning its tourism offerings and is confident that St. Kitts will position itself as a leading Caribbean destination.