Government predicts ‘unparalleled tourism growth’ in spite of external threats
By Staff Reporter-SKNVibes.com
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Hon. Richard Skerritt
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BASSETERRE, St. Kitts-TOURISM stakeholders across the Caribbean continue to worry about external factors in the global village that may dampen the industry’s growth, but officials in St. Kitts & Nevis have stated that the mechanisms implemented by the Ministry of Tourism will help keep the Federation strong in the years to come.
Following a special meeting of tourism ministers prior to the 29th Summit of CARICOM Heads in Antigua and Barbuda, Senator Allen Chastanet, Chairperson for the Caribbean Tourism Organization stated that the Caribbean must “be aggressive in the short and medium terms in order to be competitive in the long term”.
He also called for a Caribbean wide focus on affluent tourists as the price of crude oil continues to climb and shows no signs of stopping.
According to the Associated Press, oil rose last week to over US $146 a barrel due to “threats to supply in Brazil, Iran and Nigeria”. Some economists have even predicted that the central commodity will reach over US $200 a barrel before any significant relief is seen.
In the past two months St. Kitts & Nevis has witnessed the repercussions of these skyrocketing costs as international flights to the Caribbean from top American carriers American Airlines, Delta and U.S. Airways have seen a 20 per cent reduction. ~~Adz:Right~~
St. Kitts & Nevis Minister of State with responsibility for Tourism, Hon. Richard Skerritt stated recently in an interview with the online travel community TravelMole that he was certain the Federation was taking sufficient steps to prevent an economic downturn.
“All the developments currently planned for the island such as Kittitian Hill, Silver Reef and the massive Peninsula plan are all strands in an overall strategy of ensuring luxury, low impact products across the islands…[that will] create local jobs, wealth and career paths for many of our citizens,” he stated.
Additionally, the Press Secretary to St. Kitts & Nevis Prime Minister, Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas recently declared that, “the 2007/2008 Cruise Ship Season is set to be the best ever in the history of the industry with the expected visit of over 400,000 cruise passengers”.
With the announcement that Celebrity and Carnival cruises will be making more calls to Port Zante in 2009, those directly linked to the industry have felt relatively safe about their future in St. Kitts in spite of the five per cent downturn expected in next year’s season.
One factor contributing to this expected reduction in cruise travelers was the March announcement by the U. S. Department of Homeland Security that, due to terrorism concerns, all travelers by sea will be required as of June 1, 2009 to obtain a passport in order to regain entry to the country.
As of June, Skerritt’s focus on the high-end market seemed unaffected by these speculations as he stated that, “we need 200,000 visitors a year to have a vibrant industry. We do not need to play to the mass market”.
