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BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, December 16, 2021 (Press Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister) – Minister of Tourism, the Honourable Lindsay Grant said the increase in the number of cruise ship calls to St. Kitts and Nevis this month and for the next three months is a clear sign of the confidence cruise lines have in the destination.

Minister Grant was at the time making his presentation on the 2022 Budget on Thursday, December 16, 2021—a day when five cruise vessels were docked at the various ports in Basseterre.

This week alone, Sunday, December 12 to Saturday, December 18, twenty-one (21) different cruise vessels are expected to make calls to St. Kitts bringing thousands of visitors and creating job opportunities for hundreds.

The Minister said, “We had six inaugural calls since we [restarted] the industry in November. The Viking Orion, Celebrity Apex, Aida Perla, Enchanted Princess, Seabourn Ovation, MSC Seaview, and we are expecting three more before December 31^st, 2021 making it nine new calls into St. Kitts.”

He added, “We feel blessed to be reaping the harvest. Clear evidence that our cruise line partners continue to repose trust and confidence in the destination’s ability to deliver top quality tourism product and memorable guest experience. And that is why they follow their hearts time and time back to St. Kitts because we deliver. But we don’t just deliver for us. We deliver for the aloe rub [vendors], hair braiders, our artisans, street vendors, taxi and tour operators, the merchants, because all of them benefit from this tourism industry.” 

The Minister said the first three months of 2022 are projected to be even better for cruise tourism.

“In January, there will be seventy-seven (77) calls; February sixty-two calls (62); March sixty-two calls (62). So, between January and March of 2022, we are going to bring two hundred and one (201) calls into Port Zante,” Minister Grant added.

Just this week, the Honourable Lindsay Grant was bestowed the accolade of Caribbean Tourism Minister of the Year in the Caribbean Journal’s annual Caribbean Travel Awards.

During his presentation in the National Assembly, the honourable minister said the award
is a reflection of the dedicated and hard work of his entire team at the Ministry of Tourism and the St. Kitts Tourism Authority.

He said, “The accolades yesterday—it is because of the fantastic work of the Ministry of Tourism led by Mrs. Carlene Henry Morton and her team. It is because of the fantastic work of the St. Kitts Tourism Authority led by Racquel Brown and her team. It is not for me, it is for us and the entire Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis. All it says is that we punch above our weight.”

Minister Grant said a total of 56 cruise calls are expected for December. Eighteen days this month will see at least two cruise ships docked, and on nine days this month there will be three ships in port.