St Kitts and Nevis (WINN): In the Caribbean, Antigua and Barbuda, St. Lucia and the US Virgin Islands have reopened borders with COVID-19 protocols in place. Jamaica plans to reopen its borders on June 15. Private jets and yachts are now allowed in the Bahamas with a full reopening of borders planned for July 1.
CEO of the St. Kitts Tourism Authority Raquel Brown, at a recent stakeholder meeting organized for restaurant and bar owners at the Royal St. Kitts Hotel, explained while borders here remained closed.
” The first phase of Caribbean reopening primarily focuses on all-inclusive or resorts that are self-sufficient meaning they have several restaurants, retail malls numerous cafes.
Visitors do not need to leave their resorts for example Atlantis or Baha Mar in the Bahamas, ” Ms. Brown said while describing the St. Kitts tourism product as “diverse”.
” Our tourism product in St. Kitts is very diverse and encourages visitors to leave their hotels to dine around, go to any beach they choose to, leave one hotel and go to another hotel… visit craft vendors and enjoy the destination through excursions,” the tourism official declared, while pressing the point that Caribbean countries now offering phased re-openings, are not encouraging, or allowing, visitors to leave their hotel or resort.
In St. Kitts and Nevis, borders will remain closed until the authorities determine otherwise, Ms. Brown restated.
Monday, June 15, is seen as a significant day for the global tourism industry as the European Union moves to re-open some internal borders with the aim of increasing tourism in the summer.
