It’s one of the most diverse tourism destinations in the Caribbean: luxury resorts, vibrant rainforests, centuries-old distilleries, uncrowded beaches and arguably the Caribbean’s premier farm-to-table movement.
There’s a reason, after all, travelers have been drawn to St Kitts, an island that has expertly repositioned its brand as a different kind of authentic travel hotspot in the wider region.
It didn’t hurt last fall, when JetBlue Airways kicked off its first-ever nonstop flights to the island, part of a full-fledged tourism renaissance for the island in the post-pandemic era.
Indeed, St Kitts has made substantial progress in its tourism comeback, according to new data from the country’s government.
Last year, St Kitts welcomed 133,000 stayover visitors, suggesting “that we are well on our way to pre-Covid numbers, which is our benchmark at this time,” said Tivanna Wharton, permanent secretary in St Kitts’ Ministry of Tourism.
“We only recently opened in 2022, so technically that has only been one year of us reopening our borders and allowing visitors to come and I think we have done extremely well in just one year to really get those numbers up,” Wharton said.
And yes, the destination got a major boost late last year with the launch of JetBlue Airways’ first-ever flights to St Kitts’ Robert L Bradshaw International Airport, with regular nonstop service from New York.
That helped solidify the island as an increasingly hot stop for sophisticated travelers, drawn to St Kitts’ unique blend of history, culture, natural beauty and luxury, whether exploring the stunning structures at Brimstone Hill, lazing in the pool at the Park Hyatt St Kitts or hiking the foothills of the Mount Liamuiga volcano.
St Kitts’ cool factor got another boost with the recent debut of the Sunset Reef hotel, a celebrated boutique resort that was recently named the best new boutique hotel in the Caribbean.
All of this is part of a broader movement by the island to reshape its tourism image and keep travelers coming in droves — without yielding its intimate feel.
“We have actively engaged marketing companies, promoting the unique experiences that our destination has to offer. We’ve collaborated with airlines, we’ve collaborated with our travel partners and international organizations as a means of really ensuring and solidifying our position with them,” Wharton said.