Cruise passengers to St. Kitts could near
                                                       million mark in five years, says PM Douglas
 

Photos by Erasmus Williams

BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, JANUARY 5TH 2009 (CUOPM) – Visitor arrivals by air and sea is expected to top the half a million mark in 2009 and St. Kitts and Nevis could be welcoming close to a million cruise passengers within five years.
 
Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas the increase in tourism since his St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Government took office in July 1995 is evident as the entire country has reaped massive benefits from the dramatic increase in visitor arrivals that has resulted from the creative economic policies and relentless marketing campaign that is generating a discernable buzz in the international tourist marketplace.
 
He recalled that when his Administration there was little prospect of economic activity at Port Zante because of its poor design and vulnerability to hurricanes and millions of dollars had to be borrowed money to correct the design defect and reinforce the entire facility through an extensive and expensive revetment project.
 
“Today, it is clear that our money was well spent because Port Zante has attracted vast amounts of foreign direct investment and has become a thriving cruise ship shopping and entertaining facility that rivals similar facilities in many of the top cruise ship destinations in the Caribbean. 

Indeed Port Zante has been at the centre of our strategy for boosting cruise tourism arrivals, which at present growth rates could approach a million passengers within five years,” said Dr. Douglas, who is also the Minister of Tourism. 
 
He said that since 1995, the number of tourists coming to St. Kitts and Nevis by air and sea has jumped dramatically from just over 200,000 to a projected 500,000 for 2009 and the number of hotel and condominium rooms has more than doubled.
 
“The impact of the resulting increased tourist expenditure is seen and felt throughout the entire economy,” said Prime Minister Douglas.
 
“Our taxi drivers have felt it; our tour operators have felt it; our expanding array of restaurants have felt it; our craftmen and women have felt it; our talented musician and performing artists have felt it; and our large number of small itinerant providers of goods and services that cater to the specific and varied needs of our visitors can now hold their own in our society as a result of their earnings from the tourism sector,” said Dr. Douglas.