By Lesroy W. Williams Observer Reporter
(Basseterre, St. Kitts)”Minister of Finance, Dr. Timothy Harris, has hailed Port Zante as a vibrant addition to the city of Basseterre during his recent budget presentation. “Let us not forget that less than a decade ago, Port Zante was just a barren piece of land jutting out into the ocean. Indeed, no one in their right mind would invest there at that time because it was so prone to hurricanes and natural disasters. “But we secured it through the implementation of an expansive revetment programme and this year, for the first time since its construction, Port Zante withstood a major storm and encountered virtually no damage or disruption in activities. “Indeed, today, Port Zante is a vibrant addition to the town of Basseterre that attracts hundreds of thousands of cruise ship visitors to our shore and generates a wide range of income-earning opportunities for our people. “Our enlightened leadership has reconfigured Port Zante so that it can attract the newest and the best cruise ships to our shores,” Dr. Harris said. Port Zante was built on the waterfront. It has been attracting huge cruise liners like the Queen Mary and Celebrity Cruise Lines. Port Zante is developing quickly, with many duty shops that sell jewelry, clothing and souvenirs for tourists. Several buildings are under construction at the port and a one stop entertainment centre with slot machines, night club, restaurant, gift shop and caf” by the name of Ma Pau St. Kitts Experience was opened several weeks ago. Since finishing with the over 400 year old sugar industry in 2005, the Federation has embarked on promoting St. Kitts as a high end tourist destination. The services sector has now replaced the sugar industry. Many projects are in line to come on stream that would attract tourists to the country such as a Tom Fazio Golf Course presently under construction on the South East Peninsula, a Marina Village, A mandarin Hotel, a Ritz Carlton Hotel, a dolphin park and a range of luxury villas and condominiums that are planned to be constructed on the South East Peninsula.
