St Kitts-Nevis expands touristic oasis to countryside to attract affluent visitors

On Monday, St Kitts and Nevis officials announced that the new administration of the Sandy Point Eco-Park aims to attract affluent international visitors to its countryside. The move is in response to growing demand for more exclusive tourist options that complement the nation's bustling capital city of Basseterre and cruise ports that recently peaked at one million visitors. The park was developed by the Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan).

The decision is part of the Ministry of Tourism and Agriculture's policy of ensuring that all parts of the Federation benefit from, and partake in, the nation's well-established upper-end tourist industry. With an English-speaking population of just over 55,000, the Government encourages local business opportunities outside urban areas in key economic sectors. International investors are also finding St Kitts and Nevis increasingly attractive, some even deciding to acquire citizenship thanks to the incentives and benefits they see being bestowed upon current nationals.

In March 2018, the Sustainable Growth Fund (SGF) was introduced as a new option under St Kitts and Nevis' Citizenship by Investment (CBI) Programme. Shortly after, the dual-island nation reported healthy economic development and a surge in citizenship applications to its Platinum Standard CBI Programme. During his annual budget address in December, Prime Minister Timothy Harris called the CBI Programme an "incredible success" thanks to whom a series of sustainable socio-economic initiatives that benefit citizens of the two islands have been possible.

The SGF has been cited as the more straightforward and secure way to St Kitts and Nevis' citizenship, since the investment is transferred directly to a Government fund. All applicants are subjected to strict due diligence checks and, if successful, they obtain citizenship that they can pass on to their heirs.

About the St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment Programme

Established in 1984, the St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment Programme is the world's longest-serving programme to offer citizenship in exchange for an investment in a country's economy. It currently offers three investment pathways: a contribution to either the Sustainable Growth Fund (SGF) or the Sugar Industry Diversification Fund (SIDF), or an investment in pre-approved real estate.