The significance of re-opening the Four Seasons Resort to Nevis cannot be overstated. The long-time shuttering of the hotel has removed a vital source of employment and a hub for subsidiary economic activity from the local citizenry.

The resort, which once offered 196 luxurious guest rooms, was the island's largest employer, supporting over 700 jobs. A resumption of business operations would allow a large pool of workers to be gainfully employed again, increasing both local spending and the tax base.

In addition, a widely broadcast re-opening would draw in visitors from all over the world, as the Four Seasons brand remains very strong in global travel markets. Tourists to Nevis would spend their discretionary income in all manner of ways, which would be of tremendous benefit to local stores and shops.

Residents have been awaiting the re-opening anxiously since operations were closed down in 2008 after damage suffered from Hurricane Omar in mid-October. It had previously been hit in 1999 by Hurricane Lenny. Before these incidents, the hotel had been considered one of the finest in the Caribbean region.

Nevis Premier Joseph Parry has addressed the situation periodically, and during an airing in April of his weekly radio show, "In touch with the Premier," he made it clear that his government was fully committee to facilitating the re-opening of the facility, despite the prevalence of pessimistic rumors downplaying such an eventuality.

At the time, Mr. Parry acknowledged that securing a viable financial package for the hotel was extremely difficult due to the tight global lending environment in the aftermath of the worldwide financial crisis of the past few years.

Negotiations to re-open the facility has been complicated by the fact that creditors are trying to force bankruptcy on the troubled property. Wachovia Corp. and Capstead Mortgage Corp., holders of over US$100 million in debt, have filed competing bankruptcy petitions.

Premier Parry has continually sought to reassure Nevisians that Four Seasons remained committed to operating on Nevis, and has chided persons who have spread rumors to the contrary, calling them "counterproductive."

St. Kitts and Nevis Opposition Leader Mark Brantley, of the Concerned Citizens Movement, has previously indicated his support for moves to get the Four Seasons Resort up and running again.

Even throughout its long closure, the hotel still rates a high grade of 4 stars from online travel blog, Tripadvisor.com. A plethora of guests who have stayed at the hotel left glowing reports, many promising to return. An announcement that operations had resumed would be music to the ears of many of such persons, who would immediately begin thinking of the best time to travel to Nevis.

The saga of the Four Seasons is far from complete, and many hurdles have yet to be cleared, but the local desire to see it up and running again has not diminished. The resort has the capacity to instantly change the business dynamics on Nevis in a positive direction. As previously noted, its importance simply cannot be overstated.