Nevis, West Indies. ?A Non-Tourist-Trap? Blog About Nevis.

Basseterre, St. Kitts – Nevis
July 29, 2010 (SKNIS)

Public and private sector officials reviewed ways of strengthening the sports tourism product, and capitalizing on the potential benefits as Government seeks to enhance the Federation’s image in this sector.

Last Thursday, Grassroots Basketball Advisor and Coach John Spezia met with Minister of Tourism Honourable Richard Skerritt, Minister of Education Honourable Nigel Carty and representatives of the Ministry of Sports to highlight the successes of the Reach One, Teach One Basketball Camp. Since the camp began in 2006, ten scholarships have been facilitated for athletes to attend schools in the United States or the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Coach Spezia told the gathering – which included representatives from camp sponsor Digicel, local sports administrators, coaches, athletes and parents – that he was committed to continuing the relationship with the Department of Sports and the Bird Rock Sports Club.

Spezia has been with the camp from inception and has used his post as president of the National Junior College Men’s Basketball Coaches Association to bring American coaches and current and former NBA and WNBA players to work with the local talent.

In November 2009, working in collaboration with the Department of Sports, he arranged for a squad of players from the camp to travel to the United States for a one week exhibition tour of competitive basketball against four colleges.

Coach Spezia explained he would like to see the initiative expand where American schools, including NCAA Division 1 progammes, can tour and train in St. Kitts once an indoor stadium is constructed. Dr. Mark Robinson, a colleague of Coach Spezia, has made a commitment to realize this dream.

Minister of Sports Honourable Glen Phillip told SKNIS that in addition to the construction of a multipurpose, state-of-the-art indoor sporting and cultural complex, which Government will build for local events, a recommendation was made by Dr. Robinson to have a dedicated training facility for basketball erected.

At the opening of the annual camp on Tuesday, Minister Phillip disclosed that Dr. Robinson outlined plans to raise funds in the United States to help build the facility. The Minister of Sports welcomed the pledge and said that while discussions are in the early stages, all options are being considered and Government will review the proposals when completed.

He remarked that these developments will significantly strengthen the Federation’s bid to attract international teams much like the Warner Park and Jubilee stadia have done every year.

Related posts:

1. St. Kitts – Nevis Sports Department Grants Scholarships
2. St. Kitts – Nevis Basketball Camp Helps Promising Athletes
3. U.S. College Tour A Dream For Local Basketball Players
4. Kudos For St. Kitts – Nevis Sports Tourism
5. St. Kitts – Nevis Sports Tourism Grows Economy

Revelers At Nevis’ Labour Day Bash – 2010

Charlestown, Nevis
May 04, 2010

Nevis Premier, the Hon. Joseph Parry continued to welcome efforts which promote togetherness among the island’s residents. The most recent was a Labour Day Bash on May 3rd at the Cotton Ground playfield organized by the St. Thomas’ Nevis Reformation Party Constituency group.

“I am pleased that persons came out in their numbers and supported the Labour Day Fun day Bash which we are thinking about making an annual event, in an effort to promote the family unit and good community spirit,” he said.

The Bash which was designed to promote community togetherness and uphold traditions began at 11:00 am and ended at midnight.

The activities for the day included cricket, dominoes and musical accompaniment provided by the Odisi band of Bick Kiln and the Small Axe band of St. Kitts.

Patrons were also able to partake in many local delicacies including Johnny cakes, goat water, bull foot soup, cook up, souse and drinks.

The event was attended by a cross section of persons from across the island and there were no incidents reported.

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2. St. Kitts – Nevis Promotes Use Of Female Condom
3. St. Kitts Saddle Fiesta To Bring Harmony In Community
4. Nevis Island Govt. Holds 1 Year Anniversary Bash
5. Facebook – Twitter Promotes St. Kitts – Nevis Carnival

Passengers Board LIAT Plane At St. Kitts Airport
Photo By Erasmus Williams

Basseterre, St. Kitts – Nevis
April 27, 2010 (CUOPM)

LIAT – the Caribbean airline has been invited to submit proposals to Eastern Caribbean Ministers of Tourism, through the OECS Secretariat, outlining various ways in which member states can assist in improving intra-regional travel.

So said the Federation’s Minister of Tourism, Sen. the Hon. Richard “Ricky” Skerritt, who was among OECS Tourism Ministers meeting in St. Lucia for the 9th Council meeting against the backdrop of an overall 12 per cent decline in stay-over arrivals in the sub-region last year, with at least five OECS countries registering double digit slides.

Minister Skerritt and his colleagues acknowledged the difficulties LIAT face in a small market without economies of scale in many instances, with high maintenance and equipment costs, but also emphasizing the need for LIAT to continue to find ways to minimize the cost of travel.

The Ministers are of the view that the adverse impact of the global economic crisis on sub-regional tourism will extend well into 2010.

The high cost of intra-regional travel has been a major concern among OECS countries, some of which say that the situation has impacted negatively on their tourism sector.

A delegation from the airline met for over two hours with OECS Tourism Ministers to make a presentation on the carrier’s operational and marketing strategies.

St. Kitts Tourism Minister Ricky Skerritt told reporters that the presentation by the airline, which was followed by what was described as a lively discussion, focused on LIAT becoming more tourism friendly, recognising the importance of intra-regional travel to the tourism dependent economies of the OECS.

“I think all concerned acknowledged the difficulties LIAT face in a small market without economies of scale in many instances, with high maintenance and equipment costs, but also emphasizing the need for LIAT to continue to find ways to minimize the cost of travel,” Skerritt said.

“We have invited the airline to submit proposals to us through the OECS Secretariat outlining various ways in which member states can assist in improving intra-regional travel,” he added.

The regional carrier has had a monopoly of intra-regional travel since it purchased the assets of its former competitor, Caribbean Star, in October 2007.

But the airline has been criticized especially by St. Lucia and Dominica for having a fare structure that discourages intra-regional travel.

In the case of St. Lucia, the island is the airline’s third largest tourist market.

Tourism Minister Hon. Allen Chastanet, a leading critic of LIAT, was absent from the OECS Council of Tourism Ministers meeting being grounded in the UK as a result of the volcano related travel crisis.

The meeting also proposed that the regional airline review its baggage policy, particularly issues dealing with baggage allowances as it relates to specific groups travelling for sports and entertainment.

“We requested that wherever possible the airline facilitate at little or no cost the second baggage piece for those specific groups or individuals,” Skerritt said,

In the sub-region, an 11.9 percent fall in the number of stay-over arrivals was recorded last year.  Declines in the number of stay-over arrivals were recorded in all member countries, of which five recorded double-digit contractions.

“All indications are that the adverse impacts of the global crisis on tourism performance in the OECS are likely to extend well into 2010, given the lag in the response of employment and incomes to the recovery of economic activity, as the major tourism source markets in the USA and Europe climb out of economic recession,” OECS Director General Her Excellency Dr. Len Ishmael said.

She added that in the case of the United Kingdom and, to some extent, Europe, the demand for travel to the Caribbean, including the OECS, will be dampened by the imposition of an increase in the UK’s Air Passenger Duty on airline tickets.

“The likely continued slow recovery of tourism means that some of the policy measure that OECS Member States found it necessary to adopt in the immediate aftermath of the onset of the global crisis, may have to be sustained into 2010,” she said.

“These might include expanded but carefully targeted marketing, and negotiation of new airlift capacity.”

The OECS Director General said that a continued programme of support to small and medium sized hotels and other core tourism enterprises might also be warranted, linked to adherence to relevant operating standards and the achievement of appropriate performance measures.

Related posts:

1. St. Kitts and Nevis To Attend OECS Tourism Meeting
2. Nevis Tourism Advisor To Attend OECS Tourism Meeting
3. OECS Looks At Funding Tourism Marketing Campaign
4. Nevis Premier Commends Regional Airline LIAT
5. Regional Security Council Of Ministers’ Meeting