NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (November 26, 2021) – – Nevis is poised to have a somewhat buoyant tourist season; it’s first since the COVID-19 pandemic forced the closure of the industry since March 2020, and Premier Hon. Mark Brantley is agitating for persons on the island to get vaccinated in order to benefit from the upturn in economic activity.

The Premier, who is Minister of Finance, Health, and Tourism in the Nevis Island Administration (NIA), spoke to the optimistic outlook for stay-over visitors this season.

“This year represents the very first time since the onset of COVID back in March 2020 that Nevis is looking towards, with some optimism, a tourist season. I am pleased to report that the hotel sector is indicating that they have quite robust advanced bookings, that our flagship, the Four Seasons Resort, has had a good thanksgiving, which is still ongoing, and that they anticipate for Festive, that is, the Christmas Season, they are likely to be back to pre-pandemic numbers. I think that that’s excellent news for us.”

He was at the time making introductory remarks at his monthly press conference on November 25, 2021. He appealed for persons to get vaccinated against COVID-19, making the correlation between vaccination and being able to resume earning a living, especially those who would have lost their jobs during the near two-year shutdown of the tourism industry.

“Our people must prepare themselves to interact with guests, to be able to meet and greet everyone, that we can get rid of this bubble where cruise passengers are concerned, where we understand because of how the bubble operates, many, including the small man doesn’t benefit. We have to prepare ourselves and put ourselves in a position as a country to get this done.”

Approximately 63 percent of the target population in Nevis has been inoculated against the virus, however there is more work to be done, says the Premier. The Nevis Health Promotion will shortly roll out a ramped up vaccination campaign aimed at adults and children 12 to 17 years old.

Premier Brantley reiterated his call for persons to avail themselves of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccines presently being administered free of cost at all health centres across the island. The existing batch will expire in January 2022.

“Getting vaccinated is not doing something for the government of the day; it’s not doing something for the Premier or Prime Minister. It is doing something for you, your family, making it possible for you to feel safer as you go out and you get to work to earn to support your family. And so I can only urge and encourage at this point that our people take advantage.”