BASSETERRE, Oct 5 (NNN-TELESUR) — British Airways has resumed its commercial flights from London’s Gatwick Airport to Basseterre Robert L. Bradshaw Airport after the government of Saint Kitts and Nevis reopened its country’s borders to tourists.
“Tourism is a major driver of our economic growth since it has a unique potential to create jobs and livelihoods. It also plays a role in preserving our natural and cultural heritage and promoting the responsible and sustainable use of the natural environment,” Saint Kitts and Nevis’ Tourism Minister Lindsay Grant recalled.
The authorities will only admit the entry of those tourists who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 at least 14 days before their arrival in this Caribbean country. The exceptions are under-18-year-old tourists arriving with adults.
Travel restrictions for Brazil, India, and South Africa also remain in place since these countries were listed as areas with new coronavirus strains.
In addition to their vaccination certificate, all tourists arriving in Saint Kitts and Nevis must submit a COVID-19 PCR negative test result taken 72 hours before their travel. They also must submit a taxi fare since only travel-approved taxis will be allowed to transport tourists to their accommodations.
Interest in traveling to Saint Kitt and Nevis increased by 26 percent after announcing these requirements and protocols, according to data from the Zeta Global marketing company, which analyzed the traffic of major national tourism websites.
“The arrival of travelers has been constant. We hope it continues to increase since our country has high vaccination rates and low COVID-19 contagions,” Grant stated.
So far, 25,637 Kitten citizens have received at least one dose of the Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccines, and 42 percent of the population has been fully immunized against the disease. As of Oct 4, this country had reported 3,676 COVID-19 cases and 28 related deaths. — NNN-TELESUR
