St. Kitts and Nevis tourism grows as cruise season surpasses one million visitors

St. Kitts and Nevis: Tourism in St. Kitts continues to expand as the destination enters its 2026-2027 cruise season with more than one million cruise visitors last season. The Federation also recorded strong air arrivals and new plans to turn the island into a cruise turnaround hub.

According to Tourism Minister Marsha T. Henderson, a total of 116,458 passengers arrived via Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport from January up to August 31, 2026. The island also recorded the arrival of 1,031,710 visitors for the cruise season of 2025-2026.

Minister Henderson revealed these figures during a tourism press conference in Basseterre on Thursday, October 1. It marked the beginning of Tourism Awareness Month, which is being organized under the theme “Our People, Our Communities, Our Future: Reimagining Tourism Together.”

The tourism minister was joined by Acting Prime Minister Dr. Geoffrey Hanley and representatives from key tourism and port agencies.

The expanded airlift comes as St. Kitts prepares for another development in its tourism sector. The twin island federation is also upgrading its cruise infrastructure at Port Zante, with P&O Cruises set to begin turnaround services in November 2027.

It will use Basseterre as an additional turnaround port for Iona, while Iona and Arvia are scheduled to operate Caribbean itineraries that begin and end in St. Kitts.

A new cruise terminal at Port Zante is under construction to support the port's operations. The development of this port is designed to cater to the needs of passengers for processing services, such as security screening and immigration services for passengers departing and arriving at the island.

Moreover, the island will also focus on increasing its air connectivity. Air Canada will begin its seasonal flights between Toronto to St. Kitts from October 31, 2026. This service will operate weekly on Saturdays during the winter season. It will also allow Canadian travelers another direct option for reaching the island nation.

Tourism Minister Henderson described the 2026–2027 period as a year of preparation and transition. The focus will remain on increasing the Caribbean cruise operations in St. Kitts from 2027.