Above: Nevis (CJ Photo)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Nevis’ tourism sector is off to a strong start for 2013, according to data released by the government.

Tourism revenues for Nevis grew by 13 percent in the first two months of 2013 compared to the same period in 2012, according to Tourism Minister Mark Brantley.

Hotel revenues improved by 15.7 percent island-wide, with guest house revenues rising by 61.4 percent in the period.

Hotel occupancy also rose significantly in January and February; January occupancy rose to 60.3 percent, up from 47.8 percent in January 2012, while February’s number rose to 71.5 percent, up from 52.8 percent in the same period last year.

The island-wide average hotel occupancy for January and February 2013 was up 9.1 percent over the same period in 2012.
“I find this positive growth truly encouraging and tourism stakeholders can rest assured that every support will be given to ensure that tourism in Nevis continues to trend in the right direction,” he said.