Basseterre, St. Kitts, 15th January 2016 - Christophe Harbour and the yachting community on St. Kitts and Nevis will come alive January 15th and 16th with the hosting of the first inaugural Caribbean CrewFest.
Held at The Marina at Christophe Harbour, the event is hosted by Christophe Harbour in partnership with ACREW Yachting, the yachting industry’s leading professional development company for super-yacht crew. CrewFest is designed to promote the marina and familiarize super-yacht crew with St. Kitts and Nevis.
Eight super yachts ranging in length from 125 to 245 feet in length arrived today to attend the two-day event. Each vessel has anywhere from 10 to 22 crew aboard.
Speaking with MyVueNews.com, Aeneas Hollins, Director of Yachting at Christophe Harbour, explained, “We’ll have a day of professional development classes for crew, and Kantours will provide a destination tour on Saturday, which includes stops at the YU Lounge, Sky Safaris zip line, Caribelle Batik, Brimstone Hill, and Nirvana Restaurant at Fairview Inn, so that crew get a real flavor of what we are doing here and can promote the destination to their owners and guests.”
The economy of St. Kitts and Nevis will certainly get a boost during CrewFest and even afterwards, as Mr. Hollins disclosed that several of the yachts will remain on island after the event. “Some will stay for an extended period beyond CrewFest, so they can get a better understanding of the island,” Hollins disclosed. With significant disposable income, super-yacht crew represent their own mini economy. “They will enjoy their time ashore here – dining, renting vehicles, riding bicycles, and maybe some kiteboarding,” he added.
Services provided to the yachts can also generate revenue for the local economy, Hollins explained. “The have ongoing maintenance and repairs, so while they are in port here, those things have to be looked after.” Hollins noted, adding, “Beyond destination awareness, yachting services are the most important next step for us on the island.” This booming economy is already underway as local businesses come to do business at Christophe Harbour. Hollins disclosed, “More and more people are coming through the door and asking how they can work with yachts, how to bring their business to the yachting arena.”
In the meantime, Hollins is of the view that CrewFest could become a major event for the St. Kitts and Nevis tourism calendar that at the same time promotes the fledgling yachting sector in the Federation. He said, “The opportunity to attract some of those boats here, give them a destination awareness experience and get that exposure out there is huge for us.”
In highlighting the importance of CrewFest, Hollins pointed to the benefits of the yachting sector in providing local employment. He said, “We’ve expanded our team this season, employing an additional seven locals. They are being trained in many different areas, including safety and security, swimming and sailing instructor certification, and ropes and rigging. These employees are the face of St. Kitts and Nevis.”
Meanwhile, Director of Maritime Affairs McClean Hobson lauded the effort of Christopher Harbour for hosting this event. He believes it will be very valuable in the development of the yachting sector. Hobson said, “I think CrewFest will go a long way in promoting St. Kitts and Nevis as a yachting destination… Anything which is geared towards promoting St. Kitts and Nevis, as one of the number one yachting destinations, Government will certainly support.”
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