Basseterre, St. Kitts, October 01, 2020 (SKNIS)
Even in the COVID-19 Pandemic, the maintenance of relationships with stakeholders is key, says Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the St. Kitts Tourism Authority, Raquel Brown, during an appearance on the radio and television show “Working for You” on September 30.
Ms. Brown said that around the world, airlines have had to either stop operation or they have had to park their aircrafts because of the uncertainty brought about by the pandemic. She added that the cruise industry has halted operations with the CDC issuing a No Sail Order, which may be extended until October 31 of this year, and resume sailing on November 1.
“You see all of this happening and especially for St. Kitts and Nevis where we have seen the growth, you kind of say to yourself how do we fit into this puzzle,” she said. “I like to say it’s built on relationships, it’s never easy. Minister Grant, myself and our Chairman Nick Menon, there are times of the year that we had to travel. Whether it was Winter, whether it was snowstorms, whether it was a heat wave. Whatever it was, we have to go to these partners and have a discussion with them not about the beauty of St. Kitts and what we have to offer as a destination, but why coming to St. Kitts and Nevis is a value to them as an airline or cruise partner.”
Ms. Brown said that now that the borders have been closed, they still keep the lines of communication open even though all marketing, except for social media marketing, has stopped.
“The reason was that nobody was going to spend money when everything is shutting down,” she said. “While we spoke to our airlines and everything was on hold, because throughout the world everything was