Basseterre, St. Kitts, November 17, 2017 (SKNIS): The social and economic impacts from the operations of the first ever haute luxury Park Hyatt hotel brand in the Caribbean, Park Hyatt St. Kitts Christophe Harbour, located on the South-East Peninsula at Banana Bay in St. Kitts, will be wide-reaching, according to the country’s prime minister, Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris.
“Already the statistics show that leading up to the construction it was the most significant player in the construction industry, both in terms of numbers and the quantum of earnings generated in the sector,” said the prime minister, speaking at a press conference on November 17 at the Park Hyatt. “We have 320 plus—at least 94 percent of that number—who have now found better paying jobs that were available at other facilities in St. Kitts and Nevis.”
Prime Minister Harris said that the discerning clientele, which the hotel will accommodate, will also have a substantial impact on the economy.
“The clientele that will come would basically be a clientele of a higher end and all of this will translate into greater earnings for those within St. Kitts and Nevis—more opportunities, higher load in terms of flights into St. Kitts because you will now have the additional superior demand,” he said.
A culture of quality service is also expected to be attained with the opening of the Park Hyatt, the prime minister said.
“We are hoping that as a result of this experience, the culture of excellence about which we speak, will begin to permeate deeper because workers who come here as employees understand the quality dimensions,” he said. “When they leave their workplace, those skills hopefully would remain with them, and in fact the presence of Park Hyatt has already begun to drive other entities to do necessary upgrades. …others are going to have to raise the bar of their own establishment in order to be competitive.”
According to the prime minister, it is hoped that the agricultural sector will play a critical role in providing the necessary fresh produce to the 126-room luxury resort.
“So, the dimensions on which there will be positive impacts are quite wide and anything that you could contemplate will benefit—from taxis, tour services, the fisheries sector, the agricultural sector and our cottage industries, all of these are going to bloom,” Prime Minister Harris said.
