40 trade partners will join the St. Kitts team on the island in 2023, with two groups already experiencing all the Caribbean haven has to offer.
St. Kitts Tourism Authority has already hosted two groups on the island in April and May, with additional fams scheduled for July, October, and November.
'40 Fams' invites agents on a four-night itinerary, showcasing a wide range of accommodation, food, culture, and activity experiences available across both St. Kitts and Nevis.
The fam programme marks one of a host of activites planned for the remainder of the year. Other initiatives include a 'Lunch and Learn' programme in partnership with the Nevis Tourism Authority, monthly coffee mornings, virtual and in-person destination training, and tailormade training sessions with operators.
Ellison 'Tommy' Thompson, St. Kitts Tourism Authority's CEO, celebrated the trade activity: "2023 is a special year for us, as St. Kitts & Nevis celebrates 40 years of independence, and we wanted to do something big with our UK travel trade partners to mark the milestone.
"Having as many as 40 trade partners out to experience our unique tourism product in one year is unprecedented, but, in keeping with the St. Kitts style of intimate and relaxed, we have arranged the fams into five small groups with visits spread out across the year and tailored itineraries to ensure our partners get the most out of their visits."
The authority's trade interaction includes an agent reward programme, offering £50 per booking.
"As one of the smaller Caribbean islands, the trade is vitally important to St. Kitts in driving tourism and, with our twice-weekly, year-round British Airways flight from Gatwick, the UK is a significant market," added Tommy.
"Our efforts to ramp up activity with our UK trade partners post-Covid with targeted trainings and events, co-op marketing programmes and a special fam trip programme, which began with the appointment, last year, of a dedicated, agent-facing representative for St. Kitts, is really paying a dividend. So far this year, monthly arrivals from the UK to St. Kitts have been at or above 2019 levels, which is, in no small part, down to the support of our UK trade partners."
