BASSETERRE, St. Kitts — Tourism remains an important part of the economic strategy of St. Kitts and Nevis, and will be celebrated in November with the traditional Tourism Month activities.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, Carlene Henry-Morton, acknowledged the strain that the 2019 Coronavirus has placed on the tourism industry, but added that the tremendous accomplishments achieved from a buoyant tourism industry over the years have touched the lives of the populace.
“Traditionally, Tourism Month is celebrated in St. Kitts during November,” said Mrs. Henry-Morton. “We have decided that despite the challenges that we are enduring we will celebrate Tourism Month 2020 because there is still a lot for us to celebrate, there is still a lot for us to share with our stakeholders.
“We wanted especially with the reopening of the borders, to make sure that we had a number of activities and that we would be able to engage the general public, our stakeholders, and keep people informed about what has been happening in the industry,” she said. “Life as it was before has changed, it is important for everyone to adhere to all implemented safety protocols to keep them safe.
“We are going to be operating in a completely different environment,” explained Mrs. Henry-Morton. “Things have changed and for the foreseeable future. We are going to have to understand that this is an environment that is going to demand of us that we wear our masks and wear them the way they ought to be worn.
“We have to sanitize often, wash our hands as much as possible, observe the physical distance of 3-6 feet depending on where we are, and we have to also avoid as best as we can crowded spaces” she said. “These things are going to apply… the quicker we get accustomed, especially with the borders now reopened, to understanding that that is going to be the norm, the better we are at reducing the spread of the virus.”
Mrs. Henry-Morton said that although the borders were closed for several months, the Ministry of Tourism and the St. Kitts Tourism Authority remained active by “organizing workshops to ensure all stakeholders have been brought up to speed on the protocols.”
Tourism Month is celebrated from November 1 to 30 annually. This year’s theme is ‘Tourism – People, Product, Purpose #Planningforposterity.’
