The St. Kitts Tourism Authority has announced the most recent tourism-related news, events, deals and developments from the island as follows:
Visitor Arrivals:
Year-to-date December 31, 2011 arrivals show an increase in traffic of 10.7% from the North American source market as compared to YTD December 2010. Until the commencement of the Air Canada non-stop service from Toronto on Dec. 23, 2011, Canadian traffic flowed over U.S. gateways; thus it is a North American count and not a US count. There has been across the board growth from all markets, with exceptional strength demonstrated in the Miami, FL and Charlotte, NC gateways and an uptick in arrivals from the upper mid-west due to new feeder market access resulting from the Delta/Northwest merger.
Airport Developments:
Private Jet Terminal – Groundbreaking is scheduled for February 3, 2012, marking the start of construction on this new world-class facility at St. Kitts’ Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport. Completion is scheduled for October 2012. The private jet terminal will be located west of the main airport parking apron. It will consist of new arrival and departure lounges, a business center, and related offices and processing facilities, as well as an elegantly landscaped courtyard and events center.
New Airport Processing System – In December 2011, St. Kitts introduced a new passenger processing system at Robert l. Bradshaw International Airport aimed at reducing hassle and improving the visitor experience, making the process of entering the country as comfortable and world-class as possible without compromising security and border requirements. The new system mirrors one that is used in the US, with arriving passengers receiving a primary and, if necessary, secondary inspection after going through immigration.
Open Skies Agreement with the U.S. – On Tuesday, December 13, 2011, St. Kitts & Nevis became the first country in the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) to sign an Open Skies Agreement with the United States. The Federation is the 104th Open Skies partner of the U.S.. Currently three U.S. carriers – American Airlines, US Airways and Delta Airlines — operate scheduled service into St Kitts’ Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport.
New Attraction:
Located on picturesque South Friar’s Bay beach, the Carambola Beach Club is now open for lunch and dinner daily (reservations required). Holding a soft opening on December 3, 2011 it offers modern European cuisine with Caribbean influences created by Chef Dean Butler and Pastry Chef Cameron Steele, both formerly of Sandy Lane in Barbados.
New Event:
On March 30 and 31, 2012, the famous 1782 Great Siege of Brimstone Hill will be re-enacted for public viewing by the British Soldiers Fund. The battle will be re-enacted twice daily by the US-based reenactors at 11:00am and 2:00pm each day for a total of four times. Admission to Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park during these two days will be $8 per person. On January 5, 2012, Brimstone Hill Fortress was named one of “10 Great Places To Explore The World’s Best-Kept Secrets” by USA Today. It is the only Caribbean attraction to be named to this list by the authors of the news article, who state, “It’s the most impressive of all the British forts I’ve seen in the Caribbean.”
New Travel Agent Program:
St Kitts debuted the St. Kitts Agent Destination Specialist program on January 9, 2012. The program is designed to provide travel agents with a thorough understanding of St Kitts’ top selling features and booking basics as well as an ongoing dialogue with the St. Kitts Tourism Authority.
New Resort Developments:
Christophe Harbour – Work is well underway on the mega-yacht marina, which has mooring capacity for seven super yachts and will welcome its first boats by February 2012. Christophe Harbour Development Company, Ltd (CHDC), led by Kiawah Development Partners (KDP), is the master developer for Christophe Harbour, a luxury resort development currently underway. Located on 2,500+ acres of the southeastern peninsula of St. Kitts, plans include a mega-yacht harbor, marina, Tom Fazio championship golf course and an impressive collection of restaurants, shops, boutiques, five-star hotels, oceanfront and hillside homesites and villas.
Sustainable Tourism:
St. Kitts’ commitment to environmental sustainability continues, with two new developments in the fourth quarter of 2011. First, the area of St. Mary’s has been named a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO, with the certificate of declaration presented to St. Kitts & Nevis at the 36th Session of the UNESCO General Conference in November 2011. According to UNESCO, it is an area of terrestrial and coastal ecosystems promoting solutions to reconcile the conservation of biodiversity with its sustainable use. Home to sea turtle nesting and other indigenous plants and wildlife, the area will now be protected and preserved. Second, a project to install solar panels to provide electricity to Government headquarters on St. Kitts was completed in December 2011 as part of the Government’s objective to achieve a minimum 60% of its energy generation from the use of renewable energy sources by 2015. The 66 newly activated solar panels will produce 100 kilowatts of energy daily per five hours of constant sunshine so the Headquarters is now partially powered by solar energy. Due to the limited roof space, this project is meant to be a demonstration.
To help raise funds to build their Sea Turtle Interpretive Center, the St. Kitts Sea Turtle Monitoring Network (SKSTMN) is putting together a team to participate in the 10th Annual StarMile2.5 Nevis-St. Kitts Cross Channel Swim. This year’s open water swim is taking place on March 25, 2012.
Seasonal Island-Wide Special Offers:
“Feel the Warmth in St. Kitts & Nevis” – This destination-wide added value program is ideal for winter escapes. It includes 7 nights for the price of 6 (about 15% savings) or 6 nights for 4 or 5 (up to 33% savings) at participating hotels and either complimentary Continental breakfast daily, Food & Beverage credit or other inclusion; reduced airfares on flights booked in conjunction with a stay at a participating hotel via American Airlines’ AA Vacations, Delta Vacations or US Airways Vacations; a special discount card for savings at various island shops, in restaurants, on tours and more. The “Feel the Warmth of St. Kitts & Nevis offer is valid on new bookings made now through April 2, 2012 for travel between January 2, 2012 and April 8, 2013.
In Case You Missed It:
Air Canada – On July 14, 2011, St. Kitts & Nevis officially joined the Air Canada Vacations program and on Friday, December 23, Air Canada landed at the Robert Bradshaw International Airport for its inaugural flight to the Federation. One hundred twenty passengers and crew were carried on the flight, with the next two flights also booked to capacity. The weekly non-stop flight operates from Toronto on Fridays. It is the island’s only non-stop commercial flight from Canada, effectively making St. Kitts and its sister island, Nevis, a more viable winter destination choice for travelers from this key North American market. Air Canada flight AC1778 departs Toronto (YYZ) at 8:40 a.m. and arrives into St. Kitts’ Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport at 2:40 p.m. on Fridays. The same-day return flight AC1779 departs St. Kitts at 3:40 p.m. and arrives into Toronto at 8:00 p.m. Air Canada is using an Airbus 319 aircraft with 108 Economy Class and 12 Business Class seats for this flight.
Allure of the Seas – On December 30, 2011 at 8:00 am, the world’s largest cruise ship, Allure of the Seas, docked in St. Kitts on its inaugural call to Port Zante. Royal Caribbean’s 225,282-ton, 5,400-passenger vessel was welcomed in grand style, with roads in down-town Basseterre closed to vehicular traffic to allow for cultural dance presentations by local folklore groups. St. Kitts’ cruise passenger arrival numbers have increased steadily over the past four years and a 5th consecutive year of arrivals growth in the cruise sector is projected. Cruise visitor arrivals to St. Kitts are expected to increase by more than 20 percent in the upcoming October 2011 – September 2012 cruise season.
St. Kitts was named one of the “Top 12 Spots that should be on your list for 2012” by Caribbean Travel + Life magazine and the island’s Brimstone Hill Fortress was named one of “10 Great Places To Explore The World’s Best-Kept Secrets” by USA Today. As of summer 2011, the destination also ranks #1 on a list of the 16 Best Caribbean Vacations by US News & World Report. Last year, St. Kitts was named a top destination for 2011 by both AOL Travel and British Airways.
St. Kitts Tourism Authority, 800-582-6208, 888-395-4887 (Canada), info@stkittstourism.kn, www.stkittstourism.kn