St Kitts cruise arrivals to increase significantly in 2008
Addition of Carnival Destiny marks the island’s first year-round weekly cruise ship arrival
Basseterre, St Kitts (April 16, 2007) – Cruise arrivals to St Kitts will increase by more than 70 per cent in 2008, due largely to the addition of the Carnival Destiny to the island’s cruise ship roster, announced the St Kitts Tourism Authority.
The Carnival Destiny will be the first cruise ship to call on St Kitts on a weekly year-round basis. Next year it will bring 130,000 passengers to the island, beginning with its first call on January 10, 2008. The ship will spend a full day in port, allowing passengers the maximum amount of time to explore St Kitts’ natural beauty, numerous attractions and variety of activities.
“We are approaching the 400,000 annual passenger milestone in the growth of St Kitts’ cruise tourism industry,” stated Ricky Skerritt, Minister of State in the Ministry of Tourism, Sports and Culture. “However, increasing the number of passenger arrivals is not our biggest concern. We are more concerned about seasonality, sustainability and the quality of visitor experience and visitor expenditure. The year-round arrival of the Carnival Destiny will make a major difference to all of these concerns, and is a development which highlights the emergence of St Kitts as a world-class destination with unique cultural and recreational experiences that are sought after by today’s discerning travellers.”
In response to the anticipated growth in tourism from cruise passenger arrivals, as well as overall arrivals, St Kitts has certified more than 60 new taxi drivers over the past year alone and continues to provide duty and tax exemptions on vehicle imports to local taxi operators to accommodate the increased demand for transportation and island tours. All taxi operators are required to complete extensive hospitality training prior to licensing in order to ensure the consistent delivery of a top-quality taxi experience. “The waiting list for new taxi licenses is still quite long,” Skerritt added, “but we will continue to expand and improve the quality of our taxi fleet on a need-to basis.”
Located in the northern Leeward Islands of the Caribbean, St Kitts offers a diverse tourism product developed from the destination’s natural beauty, cultural heritage and rich history. The island’s stunning variety of tourism attractions include hiking through the tropical rainforest, riding the scenic railway that connects the island’s sugar plantations, touring Brimstone Hill Fortress, the only man-made UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Eastern Caribbean, wreck diving and the more traditional vacation pastimes such as watersports, golf, shopping, tennis, gourmet dining, shopping downtown, gaming at St Kitts’ exclusive casino or simply relaxing on one of the island’s sandy beaches. Guests can select from accommodations ranging from intimate plantation inns to larger hotels or resorts.
For more information about St Kitts, please contact the St Kitts Tourism Authority toll free from the US at 1-800-582-6208 or from Canada 1-888-395-4887, or e-mail info@stkittstourism.kn.
For your FREE on-line St Kitts travel guide, visit www.caribbean.com.
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