BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – TOURISM officials are optimistic as data up to the end of September shows a significant rise in stay-over arrivals to the Federation, an area that has been a concern in recent years. The government has been actively promoting an increase in stay-over visitors, which would substantially boost the economy since tourism is a key pillar of the local economy.
Addressing the media today (Oct. 31), Minister of Tourism Marsha Henderson announced that the Federation saw a 21.9 percent increase in stay-over arrivals up to the end of September. According to the minister, throughout 2024, they have focused on increasing both stay-over and cruise arrivals, while also ensuring that visitor spending on the island translates into meaningful benefits for local communities.
“I am pleased to announce that we have welcomed 118,574 visitors as of the end of September. That is at the airport,” ” she told reporters.
This is a significant increase over the 97,460 passenger arrivals in 2023. The minister is optimistic about this growth as they prepare for the winter season, which is expected to see another influx of arrivals, especially during the Christmas and Carnival period.
The numbers have been bolstered by the inclusion of several new airlines serving the Federation, and the minister explained that over the past few months, she and her team have been working to enhance connectivity to the Federation.
Underscoring her efforts, the minister confirmed the addition of new airlines and the expansion of existing routes. She announced that Cape Air will commence service on December 7th, with flights operating four times weekly on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday.
“And this is of course in response to all the requests we get from the diaspora and all our visitors to travel who are looking to travel to St. Kitts from the U.S. Virgin Islands,” the minister announced.
The new service will provide convenient travel options for those in the U.S. Virgin Islands with connections to the Federation. Additionally, it will offer a new connection to Boston, which is currently limited.
“And that is because Cape Air is co-chairing with JetBlue. And so if you just check online for a flight from Boston to St. Kitts, you should be able to load that directly through our partners at Cape Air,” Minister Henderson added.
Delta Airlines will add non-stop service from JFK starting on December 21st, 2024, in addition to its Atlanta operations. According to the minister, this operation will continue until April 26th, 2025.
“Soon, we're going to have year-round service and that's the ultimate goal,” Henderson affirmed.
As the Federation expands its offerings, tourism officials are celebrating several milestones with their airline partners. Minister Henderson acknowledged the one-year anniversary of JetBlue’s service to the Federation, which will be celebrated on Saturday (Nov. 2), and highlighted the 20th anniversary of American Airlines’ service between St. Kitts and Nevis and Miami.
