The St Kitts Music Festival is more than just a cultural celebration, it’s a powerful economic engine for the island, according to Melnecia Marshall, Deputy CEO of the St Kitts Tourism Authority. Speaking at a press conference Thursday morning, Marshall underscored the festival’s significant impact on visitor arrivals and the broader tourism sector.
“We have looked at the numbers and definitely, there’s a positive correlation between the increase in visitor arrivals and the St Kitts Music Festival,” she stated.
Marshall revealed that forward bookings with regional and international airlines showed a clear uptick months ahead of the festival, signaling heightened demand and a strong link between the event and increased tourism activity.
“As a matter of fact, about two to three months ago when we checked the forward bookings of many of the airlines coming into St Kitts during this time, we actually already saw a spike,” she explained. “So we know that the festival has a great economic impact on individuals who are visiting the island during the time of the festival.”
She also emphasized the importance of early promotion and lineup announcements in driving early travel decisions.
“We know that when we have acts that are released early, we have early bookings, we have persons booking their flights, we have hotels being booked early,” she added. “We are confident that the St Kitts Music Festival continues to be a driver for demand for the destination, especially during what we would normally call the slow period.”
Global travel pattern shifts usually have a negative impact on some Caribbean islands, however, Marshall said the festival has helped to reverse this trend for the country by consistently drawing international and regional visitors to the island.
“We are very proud that we have a festival that continues to draw people to our shores and provide that economic benefit we all need during this time, our accommodations, the taxi operators, restaurants, even the artisans on the ground at the festival,” she said.
Marshall also recognized the critical role of media, both local and international, in extending the reach and impact of the festival long after the final note has been played.
“We continue to fully support the media who are here on the island. We have a range of international and regional media, and we support our local media as well. They carry the legacy of the St Kitts Music Festival and the destination overall,” she said. “Even after the festival, we have stories going out in the months following, highlighting everything that would have happened here this weekend, and we’re truly excited about that.”
The 20th edition of the St Kitts Music Festival kicks off tonight, with a packed lineup featuring Kes The Band, Shenseea, Ayra Starr, Jennifer Hudson, and more.
