year-round Nevis tourism

Premier praises Nevisians’ Warmth as Golden

By William Doyle-Marshall

While Nevisians anxiously await word about the coming general election, Joseph W. Parry, Premier is showering praises on his people as the island’s prime product.

    Speaking in an exclusive interview in his Charlestown office early December Mr. Parry identified this feature as the reason why the Four Seasons is a five diamond hotel. That attitude Parry said contributed to the speedy attainment of the five Diamond rating as quickly as it did after it opened in 1991.

   “By 1993 it had become a five diamond hotel. It was closed back in 2008, reopened in 2010 and it got back its five diamond status,” the Premier proudly reported.

  “We have outstanding Inns like Plantation Inn, Montpelier, Golden Rock. They are not five-star because they don’t have the amenities of five star but they are pretty well recognized regionally and internationally,” Parry observed.

   Quite pleased with his people, their friendliness and warmth, the Premier emphasized “Nevisians being Caribbean people, reaching out to people and giving their service, that is what I believe we are pretty good at,”

   The Premier cited Nesbit Plantation and Oualie Beach – winners of many awards. Most of Nevis hotels are highly rated in magazine articles because of people and the great service they give and their warmth and friendliness, he said.

   While visiting Toronto recently Parry talked about making tourism a 12 month operation rather than eight months. In addition to traditional tourism, the Premier said Nevis is focusing on sports and health tourism. 

St. Kitts & Nevis Consul General John Allen, center of gathering of nationals

in Toronto, listening attentively to Premier Joseph Parry

 

Premier Joseph Parry speaking in Toronto

“In terms of sports, we have the Drag Race Trail that we are working on and it is still a work in progress where people would come and stay in guest houses and hotels and the hotels themselves are catering not only to Europe and the United States but to the Caribbean people to travel especially during the off season,” Parry explained.

   With respect to health tourism, right now Nevis is working with an American team to establish a Cosmetology Center in the New River area that will employ some 100 persons. This will be an all year round operation and the families will stay with the island hotels after treatment for three or four days.

  Further the government is, trying to attract the type of hotels that are professional and must operate all year round to ensure that they are profitable, the Premier disclosed.

   Four Seasons and Nesbit are doing this right now and Oualie has been trying to do this as well, Parry said. “Oualie has people coming from Europe for traditional holidays; they have dive people who come anytime throughout the year especially at summertime and I think some of the hotels cater to families during summer time.”

  At the moment Nevis is not big on cruise tourism but it is doing some work on cruise tourism. Steps are afoot to get increased numbers of smaller ships to come to the Port of Nevis. At the moment one or two tour operators are taking passengers from the huge cruise boats and bringing them to Nevis on day tours. This just started a few weeks ago.

December 23, 2012