St Kitts and Nevis records huge growth in visitor arrivals in year-end festive season

The burgeoning tourism sector of St Kitts and Nevis continued to receive impetus during the year-end festivities with the Christmas and Carnival Season witnessing a significant rise in airline visitors. The twin-island Caribbean state received more than 8,300 passengers who arrived on 265 flights between December 14 and 25, setting a new benchmark for arrivals for the same period in recent years. 

The 8,335 air arrivals registered in 2024 was nearly 1,000 more than that recorded in 2023 and 2,000 more than that in the year before. The latest figure also marked a steady jump from 2,937 passengers recorded in 2021, highlighting the island-state’s strong recovery from the pandemic years. 

In fact, the 2024 figure was more than those seen in the pre-pandemic year – 2017 (7,813 passengers), 2018 (7,773 passengers) and 2019 (8,069 passengers). The trend has made evident St Kitts and Nevis’s resurgence as a premier holiday destination. 

Tourism minister express delight on the milestone

Marsha Henderson, the country’s tourism minister, was ecstatic about the milestone and said the growth reflected the “resilience and allure of St Kitts and Nevis as a leading Caribbean destination”.

“Visitors and returning nationals are drawn to our unique combination of cultural celebrations, natural beauty, and warm hospitality. We are excited to share this special time with so many travellers during the Christmas and Carnival season,” she said.

Henderson said the twin islands were ready to welcome even more visitors as the festival season continues. 

In a press conference in November, the minister revealed that St Kitts and Nevis’s tourism sector was getting a boost as she reflected on the sector’s overall growth. 

She said that St Kitts saw 11,574 visitors by the end of September, marking an increase by more than 22 per cent from 97,460 recorded last year. 

The Christmas Season, along with St Kitts and Nevis’s highly anticipated year-ending Sugar Mas Carnival, has been a major attraction for tourists from all over the world. The colourful occasion sees vibrant street parades and traditional folklore performances besides calypso and pageant contests. 

St Kitts and Nevis’s Ministry of Tourism has worked together with airport and tourism stakeholders to give the travellers a hassle-free experience in the country. Operations at Robert L Bradshaw International Airport in Basseterre have been enhanced to ensure that the visitors do not face inconvenience and feel the warmth of the host nation’s hospitality as soon as they set their foot on its soil. 

PM Terrance Drew lauds rise in visitors

St Kitts and Nevis’ Prime Minister Terrance Drew, whose government has focused on promoting the country’s tourism and hospitality sector, welcomed the development. He posted about the increase in visitor numbers on his official Facebook page more than once. 

In one of the posts made on December 27, he said, “In the last 12 days, St. Kitts and Nevis saw a total of 8,335 passengers arriving on 265 flights —averaging 22 flights per day and near 700 passengers per day. A tremendous achievement.” He followed it with a hashtag ‘Powering Progress’.

Cruise passenger numbers go up

A day before, Drew mentioned in another post about the arrival of cruise ships at the islands with thousands of revelers. 

“There are six cruise ships in port today, and Basseterre is filled with revelers. Today marks one of the highest numbers of people on the island ever, due to the high number of returning nationals, high hotel occupancy rates, and cruise ship passengers. This is a tremendous achievement,” he said.

Six cruise ships reached St Kitts and Nevis on December 26, bringing more than 11,300 passengers to the islands.  

Cruise arrivals have flourished in the island-nation with 670,014 passengers arriving in them in the 2023-24 season. Minister Henderson was optimistic about the cruise season 2024-25 and said in her press conference last month that St Kitts was looking to welcome more than a million passengers from 391 cruise calls, which is a 22 per cent rise from the previous season. 

The arrivals of tourists give a fillip to the overall economy with vendors, taxi operators and tour guides getting opportunities to serve more clients to boost their livelihoods.