NEWS SPECIAL REPORT


As the Caribbean takes stock after Hurricane Irma, Amie Keeley spoke to St Kitts and Nevis tourism chiefs about the short and long-term prospects for the twin-island country in this Caribbean special edition, supported by British Airways


St Kitts Scenic Railway


St Kitts shapes up for Brits


Unlike some of its neighbours, St Kitts and Nevis was “spared the full brunt” of Hurricane Irma and has resumed normal operations. It is now encouraging tourists to return to the region.


The island’s main airport


reopened last Thursday and hotels and tourist providers are getting back to work. But as footage emerged showing


the full impact of the hurricane in other Caribbean islands, a member of the St Kitts Tourism Authority said: “When one island suffers, we all feel their pain. We are a family.” Now, more than ever, is the


time to encourage trade partners in the UK to “continue to have confidence in all the islands in the region”, according to St Kitts Tourism Authority chief executive Racquel Brown.


Tourism challenges


As with the rest of the Caribbean, St Kitts has faced tourism challenges in recent years,


including the double whammy of the global crisis and a high rate of APD on UK flights from 2008. APD on flights to the Caribbean


was brought in line with flights to the US in 2014, but new challenges in the form of Brexit and currency fluctuations have followed. That has been reflected in UK


visitor numbers to the twin-island nation, which remained flat last year, with the Caribbean Tourism Organisation estimating around 10,000 people travelled there in both 2015 and 2016. In 2012, there were about 7,000 visitors. “The Caribbean has been


recovering, especially since the UK government reduced APD,” said Brown. “But we have gone through


14 travelweekly.co.uk 14 September 2017


“We’ve gone through challenges since the Brexit vote and the impact on currency”


a few challenges since the Brexit vote and the impact on currency. We’ve seen a little decline in forward bookings but we are seeing it pick up again for 2018.”


Caribbean routes


British Airways has been key to the island’s growth. The airline added a second weekly flight from Gatwick to St Kitts’ Robert L Bradshaw airport in 2010, which includes a stopover in Antigua. “It has really helped the island.


We’re seeing more twin-island holidays or visitors are choosing to spend the day here if they’re holidaying in Antigua.” The airline and tourist board also partner on marketing campaigns, online training and incentives for agents. Brown said there were no plans


to increase flight capacity but she would like to see a flight from Manchester “at some point”. Cruise lines also bolster visitor numbers, with all the major lines


scheduling calls to the island. Brown said arrivals were


deliberately spaced apart to avoid the risk of overcrowding, and cruise passengers were taken to visit nominated beaches separate from those frequented by guests staying in the destination. Brown acknowledged the Caribbean had faced increasing competition from the Indian Ocean, with the Maldives, Seychelles and Mauritius broadening their appeal to include kids’ clubs and family facilities. “The Indian Ocean is a force to


be reckoned with and the easy accessibility is a concern,” she said.


‘Safe place’


Has the Caribbean benefited from its ‘safe’ destination in light of terror attacks elsewhere? “We don’t want to prey on


anyone else’s issues, but what I can say is St Kitts is a safe place,” Brown said. Brown is keen to point out


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