St Kitts and Nevis experiences 35% surge in stay-over visitors for Sugar Mas 53

Sugar Mas 53 also known as St Kitts and Nevis National Carnival was held from December 23, 2024 to January 2, 2025, welcoming a number of visitors from across the region

Monday, 13th January 2025

St Kitts and Nevis has recorded an increase of 35 percent stay over visitors for Sugar Mas in the 2024 festivities. As per statistics, in the recent Carnival the Federation had 16,000 stay-over visitors while the numbers were just 11,900 in 2023.

Reportedly, as per the St Kitts Nevis National Carnival Committee majority of these passengers arrived by air at the Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport.

One of the most celebrated, and major carnival in the Caribbean “The Sugar Mas 53” was hosted from December 23, 2024, till the 3rd of 2025. The the final parade was only the January 1st and 2nd.

The National Carnival committee noted that the surge in participation showcases the growing popularity of Sugar Mas among carnival enthusiasts both regionally and internationally as well as among the returning nationals. They added that the vibrant celebrations and cultural showcase have established St Kitts and Nevis as a premier carnival destination, which draws visitors eager to experience the unique festivities.

It was further noted that the increase in passenger arrivals contributes positively to the local economy as almost 100% of the budget attributed to the Sugar Mas budget is reinvested back into the local economy.

Record number of visitors arrived in December 2024

Not only this but also during the month of December which is the peak busy month in St Kitts and Nevis, the Federation welcomed a total of 8335 airline passengers aboard 265 flights, making it the highest number of passengers recorded for this period in recent years.

The 2024 figures represented significant growth as compared to the same period in previous years which highlights a steady recovery and increase in interest in St Kitts and Nevis as a top tier holiday destination.

The 8335 air arrivals surpassed the 7492 recorded in 2023 and the 6334 arrivals in 2022. With these numbers, the tourism authority is delighted that the island nation has recovered well from the Covid-19 pandemic.