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| Minister Malcolm Guishard (left) being briefed by Building Inspector, Mr Wilroy Morton. |
Charlestown Nevis (March 29, 2004) -- Nevis is on the threshold of recording 40,000 tourist arrivals for the 2003/2004-tourist season, the highest since 1994, when 34,000 tourist arrivals were recorded.
According to the Honourable Deputy Premier and Minister of Tourism in the Nevis Island Administration, Mr Malcolm Guishard, the number of cruise ships calling in Nevis has also increased, saying that “by the end of this season we will have passed 100 cruise ships coming to our shores and again our previous best was 73 ships some years ago.”
The minister spoke to GIS on Monday while inspecting the on-going Hamilton Estate Project in upper St. Paul’s Parish, where a hotel project, which is a joint venture between Carino Limited of Norway and the Nevis Island Administration, is under construction.
“This tourism season has been a very good one for us,” commented Minister Guishard. “We have witnessed an increase in tourist arrivals to our island and we are looking this to a number somewhere in excess of 40,000 arrivals on our shores, and I think that we are very close to that already. The previous best was in 1994, when we had 34,000 visitors to our shores.”
He estimated that if all went well, the island should expect to have a bumper 2004/2005 season. “So, tourism has begun to pick up in Nevis,” said Mr Guishard. “All the efforts which we have put in it, resources, financial and otherwise, are bearing fruit and I want to take this opportunity to encourage both citizens and residents to continue to look seriously at tourism on Nevis.”
At the Hamilton Estate Project, he was received by the project’s Building Inspector, Mr Wilroy Morton. The main building, which is getting off the foundation stage and expected to be completed by the end of this year, will consist of a small hotel unit that will house 16 rooms. The second phase that will begin next year will consist of a number of villas that will be built around the main hotel building.
The project which has the imposing Nevis Peak as its background has a commanding view of Charlestown, the Caribbean Sea, St. Kitts, St Eustatius and Saba. Opposite the hotel site is the Hamilton Estate ruins which according to Mr Guishard, would be restored and will belong to the Nevis Island Administration, and will be controlled under the Ministry of Tourism.
Looking at tourism on the island in general, Minister Guishard said: “There are a number of projects which the Nevis Island Administration is now looking at throughout Nevis, (including) one or two five-star hotels at Pinney’s Estate.”
Other hotel projects include Villa Paradiso at Paradise, which has already began the second phase of its project, and a number of the hotels on Nevis would be refurbishing during the summer season and one or two that would be adding villas to their villa stock.
