BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, NOVEMBER 2ND 2009 (CUOPM) - Cruise tourism pumped US$44 million or EC$118 million into the St. Kitts and Nevis economy during the 2008/2009 cruise year.
Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas, speaking at a political meeting of his ruling St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party in Upper Monkey Hill on Sunday night, said it was evident that his administration took the right decision to close the debt-ridden sugar industry in 2005.
The survey-based analysis of the impacts of passenger, crew and cruise line spending was carried out by the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association, on the 26 cruise destinations during the period May 2008 through April 2009.
The survey indicated that cruise passengers who came ashore spent a total of US$33 million or EC$89.1 million. The crew members who disembarked spent a total US$7.8 million or EC$21.6 million while the cruise lines spent US$3 million or EC$8.1 million in St. Kitts and Nevis during the survey period.
While St. Kitts and Nevis generated US$44 million from cruise tourism, other destinations like Acapulco received US$21 million; Cartagena ( US$24 million); Costa Rica (US$26 million); Curacao (US$39 million); Dominica (US$14.1 million; Dominican Republic (US$23 million); Grenada (US$21 million); St. Vincent and the Grenadines (US$7 million); Trinidad and Tobago (US$2.9 million) and the Turks and Caicos Islands (US$25 million).
St. Kitts and Nevis led 24 of the 29 destinations in terms of average expenditure per cruise passenger of US$99.41 or EC$268.40.
FCCA figures also show based on the survey, that in St. Kitts and Nevis, expenditure in 2009 by each passenger increased to US$33.20 (EC$89.64) compared to US$5.40 (EC$14.50) in 2006, an increase of 514 percent and crew expenditure in St. Kitts and Nevis increased to US$7.80 (EC$21.06) in 2009 compared to US$0.40 (EC$1.08) in 2006, a whopping increase of 1,850 percent.
Expenditure by passengers dropped in Antigua, Aruba, Belize, Dominica, Grenada and St. Lucia.
Crew visiting St. Kitts and Nevis spent an average of US$142.14 or EC$383.77, the third highest crew expenditure rate among the 29 destinations and the seventh highest among the 29 destinations in total crew expenditures of US$7.8 million or EC$21 million.
Ahead of St. Kitts and Nevis were the United States Virgin Islands (US$152.58); St. Maarten (US$149.45); Puerto Rico (US$138.63), Curacao (US$116.88) and the Cayman Islands (US$108.81).
In other Caribbean destinations spending by crews were Antigua and Barbuda (US$54.16); Aruba US$69.34); Bahamas (US$77.95); Barbados (US$54.26); Dominica (US$56.41); Grenada (US$40.43); Jamaica (US$51.32); St. Lucia (US$37.66); St. Vincent and the Grenadines (US$17.61); Trinidad and Tobago (US$66.95) and the Turks and Caicos Islands (US$61.00).
