I-St. Kitts Tourism Authority kanye noMnyango Wezokuvakasha bayakuthokozela ukumemezela ukuthi i-St. Kitts ithole umgibeli wayo wesigidi namuhla, okufinyelela isibalo esikhulu sabafikayo esinikeza isikhundla sechweba letende lesiqhingi okokuqala ngqa emlandweni waso.
"Ngijabule kakhulu ukwamukela abagibeli bezikebhe abangaphezu kwesigidi ogwini lwethu kusukela namhlanje," kusho uMhlonishwa. UMnu. Lindsay FP Grant, uNgqongqoshe Wezokuvakasha, Uhwebo Lwamazwe Ngamazwe, Izimboni Nokuhweba. “Kubaluleke kakhulu ukuthi lo mcimbi oyingqopha-mlando uyenzeka manje, njengoba sisalelwe yizinyanga ezimbili ngaphambi kwesizini ka-2017-2018 ukuze sandise abafikayo. Ukufinyelela lesi sinyathelo esiyingqopha-mlando njengamanje kuwubufakazi bokuqina kobudlelwano bethu nemizila yezokuvakasha kanye nokunxusa okuqhubekayo komkhiqizo wethu wezokuvakasha.”
U-CEO we-St. Kitts Tourism Authority uNksz. Racquel Brown wanezela, “Ezindaweni ezincintisana kakhulu zohambo lwemikhumbi lwaseCaribbean, ukweqa inani labagibeli abayisigidi okokuqala ngqa kuyimpumelelo ebaluleke kakhulu ewumphumela oqondile wesu lethu lokumaketha eliyimpumelelo. Njengoba isifinyelele lesi silinganiso, i-St. Kitts manje isithathwa yilayini yokuhamba ngomkhumbi njengesigaba sesimo se-elite port njengezindawo ezinkulu okuyiwa kuzo esifundeni. Abagibeli abahamba ngomkhumbi bajabulela ngokusobala izinhlobonhlobo zemisebenzi yethu nabantu abanobungane, abamukelayo, futhi sisebenza kanzima ukuqinisekisa ukuthi sigcina imikhumbi nezivakashi zayo zibuyela ogwini lwethu.”
I-St. Kitts ifinyelele uphawu lwabagibeli abayisigidi namuhla ekuseni ngokufika kwezihambeli ezivela e-Royal Caribbean International's Freedom of the Seas. Umkhumbi, othwala izivakashi ezingu-3,782 uma uhlala abantu ababili, wema endaweni yokuvakasha esiqhingini sase-Port Zante ngo-8:00 ekuseni. UNgqongqoshe wezokuVakasha uLindsay Grant uhole ithimba elamukelekile futhi wakhetha umgibeli oyisigidi lapho ehla, othole uhambo lokuya esiqhingini esingu-½. Umcimbi oyingqopha-mlando uphinde wakhunjulwa ngezikibha ezikhethekile ezinikezwa abagibeli abafikayo futhi wonke umuntu ejabulela isipiliyoni samasiko esiqhingi ngokudlalwa bukhoma kwebhendi yensimbi yensimbi, omaskandi nokunye emcimbini omkhulu ohambisana nokubaluleka kwengqophamlando.
"Sijabule kakhulu ngokuba yi-cruise line elethe umgibeli wesigidi e-St. Kitts," kusho u-Federico Gonzalez, iPhini Likamongameli Ohlangene, i-Government Relations Latin America & Caribbean, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. "Isiqhingi yisikhathi eside, uzakwethu wemboni obalulekile onikeza izivakashi zethu ithuba lokuveza ubuhle bemvelo obuluhlaza, amagugu acebile, izinhlobonhlobo zezinto ezihehayo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ukusebenzisana kwethu nethimba lezokuvakasha kanye nomsebenzi wabo oqhubekayo wokuqhubeka nokuthuthukisa ingqalasizinda, izinsizakalo kanye nezinsiza e-St. Kitts kubonisa ukuthi kungani kungenye yezindawo esizikhethela kuzo ohambweni lwethu lwase-Caribbean.”
Kuze kube manje kule sizini, i-Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. cruise lines, Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises kanye ne-Azamara Club Cruises, yenze ingqikithi yamakholi angama-102 echwebeni e-St. Kitts, aletha izivakashi ezingaphezu kuka-350,000 esiqhingini. Kubandakanya izingcingo ezivela kuzo zonke imigqa yokuhamba ngesikebhe yamazwe ngamazwe esikhathini esiyizinyanga eziyisishiyagalolunye kusukela ngo-Okthoba 2017-Juni 2018, inani eliphelele lezingcingo ezihamba ngomkhumbi ukuya e-St. ngaphezu kwamaphesenti angama-358.
