Basseterre, St. Kitts, October 17, 2015 (SKNIS)—St. Kitts and Nevis has generated about $EC 200 million from cruise tourism alone, while creating 1,293 jobs, according to Minister of Tourism, Honourable Lindsay Grant. Mr. Grant made the disclosure after perusing the latest Economic Contribution to Caribbean Economies Report prepared by the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA). The minister further disclosed that St. Kitts and Nevis, based on this report is ranked number 3 in terms of cruise tourist spend per capita above the average of all 35 cruise destinations in this region.
Though happy with these latest results, Mr. Grant is of the view that more must be done to encourage greater spending from cruise tourists visiting St. Kitts and Nevis and used the opportunity while a guest on “Working For You,” the government’s radio programme, to encourage nationals to create attractions for cruise tourists. The cruise lines he said, have been complaining that there is not enough for their passengers to do while on St. Kitts and Nevis.
“It means that people who are sitting down at the side of the road, who are doing other things need to start to think outside the box and think what can I go into that can attract the cruise lines to come to me as a business,” Grant said.
On the matter of available opportunities to serve the cruise tourism industry, the minister also disclosed that there is need for translators to provide translating services in Spanish, German, French and Italian to serve tourists who speak these languages.
“That is also now an avenue for persons who can speak these languages to come forth to the Tourism Authority and Ministry of Tourism to say look, these are the services we can offer because we probably need some at Port Zante and we can point you to various institutions that need them so this is absolutely necessary,” Grant said.
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