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Abdullah Skerritt – Taipei Travel Fair – 2011

Taipei, Taiwan
December 10, 2011

The Embassy of St. Kitts & Nevis in Taiwan created a great impression in showcasing the Federation’s tourism product at the recently concluded Taipei International Travel Fair (ITF).

According to Her Excellency Jasmine Huggins, St. Kitts and Nevis’ Resident Ambassador to the Republic of China (Taiwan), “this is the fourth consecutive year that the Federation has exhibited at what has been touted as the largest event of its kind in Asia.”

This year, the main theme for the display was cruise tourism which was quite timely and appropriate, given the recent surge that St. Kitts and Nevis has recently made in this area.  Nonetheless, other aspects of the local tourism product were also highlighted, including, activities such as golf, zip-lining, the Sugar Train and scuba diving; historic sites like Brimstone Hill Fortress; as well as the unique culture and festivals.

As part of the cultural presentation, Kittitian and Nevisian students, who are currently studying in Taiwan, donned clown and masquerade costumes and entertained the thousands of visitors to the booth, by dancing to local soca music.  This, along with the Kittivisian rum punch that was served from the booth offered the patrons a chance to sample the festive spirit of carnival.

This cultural presentation was partly responsible for the enthusiastic interest that the radio and television crews took in the St. Kitts and Nevis booth.  This was recognized by Mr. Abdullah Skerritt, Director of e-Business Operations with the St. Kitts Tourism Authority, who stated that “the level of press coverage – both print and broadcast – that the destination was afforded at the event, translates into advertizing value that would otherwise have been prohibitive, given our budget.”

Both Ambassador Huggins and Abdullah Skerritt expressed confidence that the destination will benefit from the twin-island state’s presence at the expo.  “We are already in discussions with principles who want to bring tour groups to our shores,” Mr. Skerritt advised.

Related posts:

1. St. Kitts – Nevis Featured at Taiwan Travel Fair
2. Huggins Woos Taiwan Nationals To Visit St. Kitts – Nevis
3. St. Kitts Tourism At New York Times Travel Show
4. St. Kitts – Nevis – Communist China Builds New Tourism Project
5. Taiwan President Pledges To Expand Cooperation

Nevis Tourism Awardees For 2011

Charlestown, Nevis
December 07, 2011

The Nevis Division of the St. Kitts/Nevis Hotel and Tourism Association publicly honoured a mix of 10 persons/business places recently for their contribution to the development of tourism on Nevis over the past year.

President of the St. Kitts and Nevis Tourism Association Mr. Nick Menon in brief remarks at the event held at the Old Manor Hotel in Gingerland on November 28, 2011, lauded the efforts of the Association’s Nevis branch for successfully improving its profile and recruitment of new members.

He said the Award ceremony, the second of its kind on Nevis, had become an important date on the tourism calendar of Nevis.

“We thought this was an important date in the tourism calendar both at the start of the season to galvanise everybody’s attention to focus on the season ahead of us and to recognise those individuals who are stalwarts for our industry both businesses and individuals who make Nevis, St. Kitts [and] the federation truly what it is,” he said.

The award, carved out of Nevis Volcanic stone was made by local sculptor Mr. Marvin Chapman was handed out by Deputy Premier of Nevis Hon. Hensley Daniel as the names of the winners were revealed.

The Four Seasons Resort won the award in the Most Significant Property Improvement category ahead of other nominees Coconut Grove Restaurant, Golden Rock Hotel and Sea Food Madness.

In the Utility of Year category the Nevis Solid Waste Management Authority emerged winner. The other nominees for that category were LIME, DIGICEL and the Nevis Electricity Company Limited (NEVLEC).

Sea Bridge St. Kitts Nevis Inc. won the award in the Two Islands One Paradise category for its ferry service between St. Kitts and Nevis. The other nominees were water taxi owner Mr. Ian “Coby” Gonzales and TDC.

In the Best Airline Partners category airline carrier WINAIR won. Other nominees were Costal Air and British Airways.

Mr. Greg Phillip won the Sports Tourism Award. Ms. Debbi Wallace, Mr. Winston Crooke and Mr. Reggie Douglas were also nominees in that category.

The Business of the Year Award went to Coconut Grove Restaurant. However, the other nominees were Mr. Winston Perkins of Islander Water Sports, Oualie Beach Resort, Dion and Associates Ltd. and the TDC Group of Companies.

Service Employee of the Year went to Mr. Shirlon James of TDC and Coconut Grove Restaurant. Other nominees for that category were Ms. Doreen Hodge from Sugar Mill Estate, Ms. Marcella Isles from Oualie Beach Resort, Carty Simmonds from Montpelier Plantation and Nisbett Plantation, and Ms. Lavern Liburd of TDC Airlines and Coconut Grove Restaurant.

The Hotel Tourism Supervisor of the Year was won by Mr. Dan Perkins but the other nominee was Mr. Patterson Flemming. Both nominees came from the Nisbett Plantation Beach Club with over 25 years of loyal service to the tourism business on Nevis.

The Value Added Award was won by Ellis Chaderton owner and operator of Scuba Safaris Ltd. at Oualie Beach. The other nominee was the Nevis Island Administration who put together a programme with duty free imports for hotels and restaurants at a time when the economy was down.

Best New Business award was one by Cape Air. The other nominees for that category were Horsfords Valu Mart and IGA, Riviera House and Cape Air.

Related posts:

1. Nevis Tourism Awards 2007
2. Nevis Holds 1st Hotel and Tourism Awards Ceremony
3. Nevis Restaurant Receives Wine Spectator Award of Excellence
4. Nominees Of Annual Nevis Tourism Awards Released
5. Nevis Honours 12 For 24th Independence Anniversary

CTO Chairman – Richard Skerritt
Photo By Erasmus Williams

Basseterre, St. Kitts – Nevis
December 04, 2011 (CUOPM)

Chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO), Sen. the Hon, Richard Skerritt has warned the region not to allow local political partisan interests to undermine the Caribbean’s main income earner.

Sen. Skerritt, who is also Minister of Tourism and International Transport in St. Kitts and Nevis, said given the challenges of the current world economy, there is an urgent need for all sectors in each island to work closer together.

Speaking at a tourism seminar in Grenada, he said local politicians must put aside their own partisan interests to ensure that the region’s tourism sector survives these times.

“Our tourism must be protected from the partisan tribalism that often divides us in these islands. We don’t have to like each other to work together in the national interest,” Skerritt explained.

“We just need to like what we do and love our country. We don’t have to agree on everything in order to improve our product standards and island experience for our visitors.”

The St. Kitts and Nevis Tourism Minister said the common national interest of preserving the crucial tourism sector must trump all other considerations.

Skerritt said an eminent danger to regional tourism is what he called local “political stupidity.”

“We don’t have to vote for the same party in order to recognise the value of tourism expenditure in our economy,” he said.

“We must therefore not allow the vital needs of tourism to be compromised by shortsighted political stupidity. Political stupidity is prevalent across our region.”

The CTO Chairman also warned about the eagerness to cut back spending on market competitiveness because of the crisis.

He said what the industry needs now in a time of crisis are wise investments.

“And while we have to be prudent in our own expenditure we must not allow overly obsessed cost cutters in our businesses and government to ignore the need for people development or in market competitiveness,” said the tourism minister.

“We should have passed the stage of debating this but across the region you will be surprised how many people do not understand this. You will be surprised at how many leaders in our industry, government and private sector do not understand that tourism wealth actually alleviates poverty,” said Skerritt in the CMC report by Rawle Titus in Grenada.

Related posts:

1. St. Kitts – Nevis Tourism Minister At Caribbean Tourism Summit
2. Churches Urged Not To Get Involved In Politics
3. St. Kitts – Nevis Tourism Product Good For The Economy
4. Skerritt Disappointed By PAM’s Carnival Politics
5. St. Kitts – Nevis Tourism Increases Since Last Year