Above: St Kitts (CJ Photo)
By the Caribbean Journal staff
The luxury travel market in St Kitts and Nevis continues to grow, according to new data from the government.
The twin-island federation is seeing an increase in both yacht and private and corporate jet arrivals; yacht calls to St Kitts and Nevis showed an increase to 485 calls in 2012 from 285 in 2011, a 70 percent increase.
Corporate jet arrivals have averaged 393 per year from 2010 to 2012, up from a low of 186 arrivals in 2009.
An exit survey from the St Kitts Tourism Authority found that more than half of St Kitts’ stop-over visitors earn more than $100,000 per year.
St Kitts has been making the market a priority, having launched construction on a new multi-million dollar marina at Christophe Harbour and a new private jet terminal at Robert L Bradshaw International Airport.
Christophe Harbour is the site of the planned Park Hyatt project.
The government is also reportedly planing to continue development on the Port Zante Marina in Basseterre.
St Kitts’ new private jet terminal is set to open in May.