St. Kitts & Nevis’ Effort to Attract High-End Visitors Paying Dividends

St. Kitts and Nevis saw an increase in yacht and private jet arrivals in response to a proactive campaign on the part of the government to boost infrastructure and lure luxury travelers. High-end visitors are taking advantage of the expanded facilities for private/corporate jets and scheduled airlines as well as the upgraded yachting and tendering facilities at the government-owned Port Zante Marina.

Specifically, yacht arrivals rose 70% in 2012 compared with 2011, and corporate jet arrivals to St. Kitts rose from a low of 186 in 2009 to an average of 393 per year for the three-year period of 2010 to 2012. A total of 1,336 private planes landed at Bradshaw Airport in 2012, up from 1,188 in 2009. According to the most recent 2012 St. Kitts Tourism Authority airport exit survey of passengers on scheduled airlines, 53% of St. Kitts’ stopover visitors earn more $100,000 per year.

“We are still struggling to recover from the global economic crisis which was a real shock to our tourism industry, but it is clear that St. Kitts has been reaping dividends from our government’s decision to invest so heavily in air and seaport facilities,” said Ricky Skerritt, minister of tourism and international transport for Nevis and St. Kitts.