Visitors top the 2004 Music Festival injected an estimated $2.1m into the economy, with the lions share, $1.5m, being spent on a combination of entertainment and recreation, duty free shopping, meals, drinks and transportation. Hotels and guest houses took in an estimated $750,000 from the tourists, who spent some $390,000 on tickets for the festival itself, and on festival merchandise such as T-shirts and souvenirs.
This information is contained in a report compiled by an Economic Impact Assessment Committee set up to analyse the economic benefits of the annual event.
The committee reports that 2,096 persons came to St Kitts for the 2004 festival. This number was several hundred less than the 2,562 that attended in 2003. Seventy per cent of last years visitors came from neighbouring Caribbean countries Antigua and Barbuda, St Thomas, St Maarten, Anguilla, St Croix, St Lucia and Barbados.
Twenty three per cent came from the USA. The majority of tourists were between the ages of 21 and 40, and their stay in St Kitts lasted four nights on average.
On an ascending scale of one to five, the visitors gave lasts years festival a rating of 3.14. Nearly 90 per cent of those who came in said they would return and they would encourage others to come.
The report points out that visitors who come for the festival generate additional economic activity in the country by patronising the business community.
For this years festival, the organising committee will, where possible, implement some of the recommendations made by last years visitors.
Already the concerns about ease of purchasing tickets have been addressed. Tickets can now be bought online, and the sales area at the festival itself will be expanded. Shows start an hour earlier this year, at 7:00 p.m., again in response to suggestions in this regard.
The planning committee is also looking at making more bathoom facilities available, as this was of concern to visitors and residents alike.
There are, however, some things beyond its control. Artistes contracts invariably demand that still and video cameras be prohibited at events such as these, and that rule will stand. The no re-entry rule is also an international one, and will remain in force.
