TOURISM OFFICIALS REPORT STRONG 2026 VISITOR NUMBERS TO DATE

Basseterre, Saint Kitts, October 02, 2026 (SKNIS): The tourism industry in Saint Kitts continues to demonstrate strong resilience as more visitors discover the unique charms, rich culture and diverse experiences of the destination.

Key statistics shared at a press conference by the Ministry of Tourism on Thursday (October 01, 2026), indicated that there were 116,458 airlift arrivals for the year as of August 31, 2026. The visitor spend exceeded US$34.5 million dollars. The figure reflects only transactions made using Visa debit and credit cards. Spending generated on other card networks and cash payments is not included.

Additionally, there was a 5.6 percent month-over-month increase in arrivals from 12,649 in July 2026, to 13,354 persons in August 2026. This brought a perfect end to the peak travel season.

Officials expect a strong peak winter airlift season buffered by the recent announcement that Air Canada will begin its seasonal travel schedule to Saint Kitts on October 31, 2026 – one month earlier than the traditional start in late November.

The 2025-2026 cruise season was also very successful, with 1,031,710 excursionists coming to Saint Kitts as of September 2026.

Minister of Tourism, the Honourable Marsha Henderson, thanked the “hard-working team at the ministry and the St. Kitts Tourism Authority. She noted that the strategy to build the tourism product is dynamic and will continue to adapt to capitalise on market trends while remaining true to the authentic brand of the island.

“Our aim is to attract more visitors through stronger destination awareness and marketing, while enhancing the experience visitors enjoy on our shores,” she stated. This means improving our products and services, encouraging greater visitor spending, strengthening connections with local businesses, and supporting community participation.”

Over 460 stakeholders, including hair braiders, taxi drivers, tour guides, primate petting vendors and frontline staff at the St. Christopher Air and Sea Ports Authority, and Urban Development Corporation, also received additional training in customer service.

Minister Henderson implored the stakeholders to apply the techniques to ensure that engagements with local and visiting customers remain at a high standard.

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