BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE recent docking of seven cruise ships in St. Kitts was another historic day for the island, according to Minister of Tourism Hon. Lindsay Grant.
That came as the arrival of those vessels surpassed the six that made calls to St. Kitts earlier this year, bringing with them approximately 10,000 passengers.
The Minister, speaking with reporters at Carambola on Friday (Nov. 17), noted that the arrival of the seven vessels – Seabourne Odyssey, TUI Discovery, Adventure of the seas, Thomson Celebration, Celebrity Summit, Wind Surf, Crystal Esprit – highlighted what the cruise industry could expect for the 2017/2018 season.
The season is expected to be a busy one for the island, as over 100 vessels are scheduled to dock next month, bringing over 150,000 passengers – with Christmas and Boxing Day each seeing seven vessels being docked.
Grant reminded that for this month they are expecting 70 calls to the island.
“It translates in December alone to something in the region to US$30 million pumped into the economy. We are extremely happy for what we are seeing in the cruise industry [and] it hasn’t come easy. It has come with hard work, a lot of diligence, and so I must thank the team both at the Ministry of Tourism and the St. Kitts Authority.”
According to the Minister, they have been speaking with various Stakeholders including the Police Force and the Army with a view of providing safety and security for the visitors to the island on Christmas and Boxing Day, where the town would be buzzing with activities.
“…we have to deliver a first-class service to our visitors. We want them to leave here knowing that it is not just about the sand and sea. It is about the beauty yes, but it is also about the people who can deliver top class, first class, first-rate service in a first line industry.”
In thanking the general public for its support in the critical industry of the Federation economy, the Minister disclosed that it has pumped over US$ 600M into the economy thus far for this year – noting that “we cannot just pick that up from anywhere”.
As such, he noted that they are “out there week after we in front of the cruise executives telling them that we can deliver and we are going to deliver. And we are not only going to deliver a first class service [ but] we are going to make St. Kitts the best stop you have on your itinerary”.
Grant added that based on projections, they are expecting the period of November to January to pump US$200M into the economy.
