Small Island, Big Experiences: St Kitts Leverages Size for Unique Tourism Appeal
07 January 2025
St Kitts and Nevis tourism officials are positioning themselves to capitalise on an unusual advantage. Coming off the heels of a successful 53rd edition of its annual Sugar Mas, the island, with a population of just under 50 000, is gearing up to host another crowd-catcher – its 27th annual music festival – in June.
Chief Executive Officer of the St Kitts-Nevis Tourism Authority, Kelly Fontenelle, touts the uniqueness of the country’s tourism product and says visitors to the island are in for an intimate experience. For St Kitts, she says, its small size is an advantage.
“St Kitts is a small island, but there is so much to do. We consider ourselves vibrant and uncrowded. We have a limited number of hotel rooms, so there are never, ever too many people around when you’re vacationing on the island,” she explains.
St Kitts prides itself on offering a tourism product that blends vibrant experiences with cultural authenticity. Sugar Mas, which ran from December 13, 2024, to January 2, 2025, is a prime example. More than just another Caribbean carnival, it celebrated the island’s heritage with folklore, music, and dance.
“Our carnival is not going to compete with the Jamaican or the Saint Lucia carnival. Our carnival is unique, and what’s different about our carnival is that we still have the cultural aspect in our carnival, which is very unique,” she highlights.
Hyped for the music festival scheduled for this summer, Fontenelle stressed the uniqueness of this event. Six artists are already set to perform at what she described as one of the biggest festivals in the region.
“We have a music festival like no other, and we have lots of different genres of artists who are performing. And again, we are not competing with any of the other destinations because what we have is unique,” Fontenelle explained.
The lineup for the highly anticipated June 26-28 event features a mix of global superstars and regional favourites. They include: AkaiiUSweet & Tobap, Ayra Starr, Dejour, Jennifer Hudson, Kes The Band, Kollision Band, Shenseea, and Vybz Kartel.
The festival blends soul, soca, jazz, and other genres in what organisers promise to be an enriching experience for all attendees.
