Basseterre, St. Kitts — The St. Kitts Tourism Authority (SKTA) recently concluded a successful multi-city roadshow across the United Kingdom, engaging more than 160 travel advisors and industry partners through a series of training sessions, networking events, and strategic industry meetings designed to strengthen the destination’s presence within the UK market.
Led by CEO Kelly Fontenelle, the initiative brought together members of the SKTA team including UK Sales & Marketing Consultant, Chelcie Lewis and UK Trade Sales Representative, Suzy Trott, along with hotel partners Park Hyatt St. Kitts, Timothy Beach Resort, and St. Kitts Marriott Resort & The Royal Beach Casino, who joined the programme to showcase the destination’s diverse accommodation offerings.
The roadshow commenced in the West Midlands with SKTA’s participation in Caribbean in the Country, a travel trade event held at Nailcote Hall. Approximately 30 travel agents attended the marketplace-style event, which included seminars, scheduled one-on-one meetings, and networking opportunities. SKTA also sponsored the evening cocktail reception, offering agents a taste of the island through authentic Kittitian rum cocktails and Caribbean-inspired hospitality.
In Kenilworth, Warwickshire, SKTA joined a Travel Gossip networking and dinner event with 30 agents, where the team gave away bottles of Kittitian rum to two winning agents in the prize draw.
From there, the team travelled to Manchester, where SKTA hosted a St. Kitts Travel Agent Evening Event. During the event, travel advisors participated in destination presentations from SKTA and the hotel partners, followed by networking and a prize draw. Prizes included stays at Timothy Beach Resort, which was won by Karen Young from Travel Counsellors; Park Hyatt St. Kitts, which went to Michelle Leonard from Travel Counsellors and Angela Tang from Angchichi Travel; and St. Kitts Marriott Resort, which was snapped up by Ben Walton-Guest from Travel Counsellors. Lewis Stewart from Lotus Group was lucky enough to win a place on the next SKTA travel agent fam trip as part of the prize draw. The event provided agents with deeper insight into St. Kitts’ expanding accommodation offerings and tourism experiences.
The roadshow continued in London with participation in the Hablo travel agent networking event at The Piano Works in Covent Garden. With more than 100 agents registered, the event allowed the SKTA team and hotel partners to engage with advisors in an informal networking setting while sharing destination updates.
The programme concluded with an intimate travel advisor training and afternoon tea session at the Covent Garden Hotel, hosted in partnership with Four Seasons Travel. The event brought together a select group of home-based travel advisors for presentations and discussions about the destination.
During the visit to the UK, the St. Kitts Tourism Authority also joined the inaugural Partnership Day hosted by British Airways, which brought together tourism authorities, airport representatives, and airline partners to explore opportunities for collaboration within the tourism sector.
The event also served as a valuable networking platform, allowing tourism boards and airline partners to exchange insights on global travel trends and best practices within the aviation and tourism sectors.
“This roadshow was an important opportunity for us to connect directly with our valued travel trade partners across the UK and strengthen the relationships that help drive visitation to St. Kitts,” said Kelly Fontenelle, CEO of the St. Kitts Tourism Authority.
“Travel agents play a critical role in inspiring and booking travel to our destination, and these in-person engagements allow us to provide them with the tools, knowledge, and confidence to sell St. Kitts effectively. Our participation in the British Airways Partnership Day also reinforces the importance of collaboration with our airline partners as we continue to position St. Kitts prominently within the international tourism marketplace.”
Throughout the week of engagements, the SKTA team highlighted the island’s rich culture, vibrant culinary scene, expanding hotel portfolio, and authentic experiences that continue to attract travellers seeking immersive travel experiences.