St Kitts & Nevis Minister of Tourism Talks Cruise Comeback

We’ve been covering a lot of news from cruise lines and their employees lately, but one thing getting neglected is how the numerous island nations across the Caribbean are doing. These islands rely on tourism to survive and cruise ship visitors often make up a large portion of their tourism revenue. 

Porthole Cruise Magazine Editor-in-Chief Bill Panoff spoke with Lindsay Grant, the Minister of Tourism for the islands of St. Kitts and Nevis, a popular cruise destination in the Caribbean. They spoke about how the island is faring during the crisis and looking to the future, Mr. Grant had a positive outlook for a return to travel and vacations. 

St. Kitts and Nevis Take Precautions

Thankfully the island has very few cases of COVID 19, which the Minister credited to quick and common sense action like instituting curfews, closing businesses and encouraging social distancing around the islands. The island of Nevis also instituted a 24-hour lockdown for all citizens aimed at stopping the spread of the virus.

My belief, really, is that tourism will come back stronger than ever

“I believe people now understand that travel has the ability to connect us as global citizens,” Mr. Grant said. He continued on to say that cruising will likely be the first to bring tourism back to the islands and that others will follow soon after.

A return to normal for locals would be welcome as the majority of those on the island make a living from tourism in one way or another. Along with expanding their cruise port to accommodate four large ships at a time, St. Kitts was named Cruise Destination of the Year by the Caribbean Journal in the publication’s Caribbean Travel Awards 2020. 

Thank you for taking the time to speak with us, Mr. Grant!