BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS — St. Kitts & Nevis will be reopening its borders to international visitors on Oct. 31, becoming the final Caribbean destination to do so.
According to the Hon. Lindsay F.P. Grant, Minister of Tourism, Transport and Ports, the twin-island Federation was the last of the islands to hold out in order to ensure a responsible reopening. As a result, the CDC recently assessed the destination’s COVID-19 risk as very low and designated it as ‘No Travel Notice’ required, having had only 19 cases, no community spread and no deaths.
“We have been working diligently to prepare for this reopening to ensure that we are ready to welcome travellers by training and certifying local businesses and individuals in the health and safety protocols they are required to meet and be certified in to be permitted to operate,” said Grant. “This is particularly important as we encourage visitors to explore our islands beyond their hotels to experience what makes us a unique, authentic and quintessential Caribbean experience.”
St. Kitts and Nevis has received international recognition of their successful management of the first wave of the global pandemic as a result of early and aggressive testing, contact tracing and quarantine program, along with an ‘All of Society Approach’ that includes mask-wearing in public, social distancing and sanitization protocols.
Moreover, in order for tourism-related businesses to reopen, employers and employees must undergo ‘Travel Approved’ training for their respective sector/business/department. Upon completion of the training, they receive the ‘Travel Approved’ Certification and Seal, which provides assurance to citizens, residents and visitors.
The Hon. Mark Brantley, Minister of Foreign Affairs & Aviation, adds: “The genuinely friendly people of St. Kitts & Nevis are a key component of our tourism product, so the protocols we have established aim to provide for their safety in interacting with visitors as well as visitors’ safety in interacting with our people. It is critical to travelers’ perceptions of St. Kitts & Nevis as a safe and desirable destination of choice as well as to citizens and residents own safety in embracing their return.”
