St Kitts: Marsha Henderson announces EC $18.1 million for tourism industry marketing expenses

Basseterre, St. Kitts: The Minister of Tourism, Marsha Henderson, during her address on Budget 2023, on December 15, 2022, announced that the Tourism industry of St Kitts and Nevis would be allotted EC $18.1 million for the strategic marketing expenses for the industry to comply with global standards. 

Henderson stated that considering the necessity of global marketing, an injection of EC $18.1 million has been earmarked in the 2023 budget. The Tourism industry is highly competitive in nature and the impacts of the pandemic that has receded the rates of arrivals and investment in the sector. The St. Kitts Tourism Authority (SKTA) and the associated partners have been putting every possible effort into the revival of the industry.

In this regard, the SKTA and the Ministry of Tourism have succeeded in the implementation of a full bliss global marketing strategy.

As Marsha Henderson noted, 75 billboard placements were launched in Manhattan, New York. St Kitts and Nevis is connected to TV, social media and the social media platforms that provide the country with recognition in the international markets. The government is investing in the industry, which implies returns for the citizens of the country.

Further, she stated that with the efforts of the government of St Kitts and Nevis, the country would maintain a globally competitive edge, and this budget has been designed with that in mind. 

 Its thus, necessary for the country to work in close association with its international partners to achieve more with less.

“As a country and destination, we must continue to punch above our weight in a challenging marketplace. It requires us to perform at our best possible. Every dollar that we spend must be carefully targeted, and every discussion made must be in tandem with our strategy for competitiveness“, the Tourism Minister noted. 

The Ministry of Tourism, Civil Aviation and International Transport was allocated $44,508,993 for 2023. Minister Henderson said that “some $27 million” is geared towards recurring expenditure, and $17.6 million will be spent on capital projects.

“This shows from the budget last year, an overall increase of 23.4 per cent meant to solidify the government’s position to improve the offerings of the island’s tourism product.