Mélange Travel & Lifestyle Magazine July 2016 | Page 148
COVER STORY
How has your tourism
What are your
product changed over the expectations for the
years?
tourism sector in
Our product has become
2016/2017?
progressively more sophisticated
and luxurious but our ethos has
remained the same. A natural
island with a rich history a
genuinely warm and welcoming
people offering our visitors a true
sense of how the Caribbean used
to be. We say on Nevis that you are
only a stranger once. We mean it
and intend to stay true to our ethos.
Tell us about your geo
thermal initiative and
how it ties in to your long
term tourism strategy.
Geothermal is clean and green and
allows us to generate electricity
sustainably whilst at the same time
weaning our island completely
off fossil fuels. Not only will
geothermal energy be cheaper for
consumers but it reduces Nevis’
carbon footprint to nearly zero.
As indicated above we expect
to be able to have geothermal
in our homes and businesses by
December 2017.
In terms of tourism we feel that
being the greenest place on Planet
earth speaks volumes of who we
are and what we as a small island
are seeking to achieve. Canadians
who themselves are known for
their efforts to combat climate
change will be pleased to visit an
island which is leading the world in
sustainability.
Nevis has experienced growth in
visitor arrivals averaging just under
12% per year since 2013. That is a
record we are proud of. We wish to
continue this level of growth but to
do so responsibly and sustainably.
An Aman Resort has been
promised and we hope to capitalize
on that unique opportunity. The
venerable Four Seasons has also
been recently sold and we expect
the developers to undertake a
massive upgrade of that resort so
as to ensure it continues to be the
finest in the Caribbean.
The future of tourism for Nevis is
bright. Our path is one on which
we are certain and we hope that
your readers would come enjoy
what a privileged few are lucky to
call home
Is your country seeking
to attract investors to
your tourism sector? Or
any other sector?
Yes. We continue to try and attract
investors who understand the
ethos of Nevis and are prepared to
invest in that type of development.
The Four Seasons came some 25
years ago and it still one of the
finest properties globally. We feel
that other high end brands would
also find Nevis attractive. With
geothermal energy in the near
144
future and our claim to being the
greenest place on Planet Earth, I
think investors in the hospitality
sector will be encouraged to take
a hard look at Nevis. Our island
is stable with a strong democracy,
independent court system and
a growing economy. Indeed the
economy of St Kitts and Nevis is
due to grow by just about 6% this
year the second highest growth
only to the Dominican Republic
in the entire Caribbean and Latin
American region.
I extend a heartfelt invitation to
your readers in Canada. C ome
see us. Come stay with us. Corn
invest with us. Come see Nevis, the
Queen of the Caribees.