St Vincent and the
Grenadines
With no official data published, the Eastern Caribbean
Central Bank (ECCB) estimates that economic activity
expanded in the first half of 2013, driven by increased
output in construction, wholesale and retail trade,
agriculture and manufacturing.
Figure 23
Tourism Industry (Visitor Expenditure in XCD, millions and is
shown in the right axis)
100000
95
80000
85
60000
75
40000
65
20000
55
0
Construction activity rose largely as a result of higher
levels of public sector projects, which outstripped private
sector activity. Indeed, government capital expenditure
increased to XCD40.8 million as projects continued apace
in the public sector, including the Argyle International
Airport, the Maritime and Hospitality Institute and the
South Leeward Highway Rehabilitation, among others.
The imported value of construction materials and supplies
increased 24% for the first quarter of the year, further
supporting the growth in construction.
The agriculture sector benefitted from increased output
in root crops, vegetables, bananas and livestock. Efforts to
contain plant diseases such as the destructive Black Sigatoka
helped boost production of bananas – a major contributor to
the country’s overall GDP.
For the first six months of 2013, the activity in the tourism
sector declined, as evidenced by a 5.8% contraction in
stay-over arrivals, compared to growth of 2.6% recorded in
the same period of 2012. Arrivals from all source markets
declined during the period, with the exception of Canad B