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Basseterre, St. Kitts, September 06, 2021 (SKNIS): Minister responsible for Tourism and Ports, the Honourable Lindsay Grant, said that all signs are pointing to a positive recovery of the economy in St. Kitts and Nevis as global business begins to pick back up.

The minister’s comments were made on Sunday (September 05, 2021) at the Antioch Baptist Church as he worshipped with the leadership, board members, management, and staff of the St. Christopher Air and Sea Ports Authority (SCASPA) to celebrate the organizations 28^th anniversary.

In extending warm greetings to the Lead Pastor Lincoln D. Connor and congregation, Minister Grant shared developments at Port Zante, the Deep Water Port, and the R. L. Bradshaw International Airport that highlighted the road to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels.

“As far as the resumption of international flights is concerned, American Airlines has increased the frequency of flights, Delta [Airlines] has resumed its operations, British Airways will commence in October, and Air Canada in November,” he stated.

Minister Grant then turned his attention to the sea.

“At the seaport, there has been an uptick in cargo imports which is really a clear indication that the economy is slowly getting back to 2019 levels. Cruise operations have resumed with the Seaborne Odyssey at the [Southeast] Peninsula. However, I am pleased to announce … that on September 14^th, just a couple of days from now, we will have our first cruise vessel at Port Zante – the Celebrity Equinox – with over 1,000 passengers,” Minister Grant added.

He noted that the work to restart the country’s tourism industry has been carefully handled and implemented with appropriate levels balancing lives and livelihood.

“Brothers and sisters, better days are ahead,” Honourable Grant expressed. “The challenges may seem insurmountable, but we need to be resilient. Going forward, it is SCASPA’s intention to modernize the ports by way of streamlining its operations, making full use of technology that allows for all agencies and key stakeholders to use a single-window system.

The new system will allow stakeholders in trade and transport to lodge standardized information and documents via a single entry point to meet the necessary regulatory requirements of import, export, and transportation.

SCASPAs 28^th anniversary is celebrated under the theme: Overcoming Challenges, Building Resilience.”