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2018 Annual Economic and Financial Review ST KITTS AND NEVIS
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Eastern Caribbean Central Bank
arrivals from the Caribbean. Increases were
also recorded for visitors from the Caribbean,
the second-largest market, of 1.5 per cent to
24,366. In contrast, stay-over arrivals from
the UK, fell by (11.5 per cent) to 8,788,
attributable to uncertainty associated with the
anticipated Brexit.
A decrease in stay-over arrivals of 1.9 per cent
to 6,672
was also observed for the Canadian
market. Cruise ship passenger arrivals which
on average accounted for 89.9 per cent of total
visitors over the last two years, rose by
8.1 per cent to 1,153,537 in 2018, compared
with a 14.5 per cent increase in 2017. The
outturn was consistent with a 3.1 per cent (16)
increase in the number of cruise ship calls to
539 at cruise ports in St Kitts and Nevis. The
number of excursionists rose by 6.5 per cent
to 4,217, while visitors by yacht fell by
63.0 per cent to 2,494.
Value added in the construction sector, is
estimated to have risen at a decelerated rate of
0.8 per cent in 2018, compared with a
4.7 per cent expansion in 2017. The
construction sector is the largest contributor to
the economy accounting for 18.0 per cent of
GDP. Buoyancy in construction was fuelled
by continuing activity in the public and private
sectors. This assessment was supported by
increases in the quantity of sand produced by
the government quarry of 9.3 per cent to
43,821.5 tonnes and stones of 70.6 per cent to
57,296.8 tonnes. Further evidence of an
increase in activity in the sector was an
8.7 per cent increase in the volume of
imported construction related materials
another gauge of activity in the sector. Public
sector investment rose, sustained by a
34.6 per cent increase in capital outlays over
the review period. Activity in the public
sector in St Kitts consisted of the completion
of major work on Phase I of the island main
road resurfacing project, accelerated work on
the second cruise pier and resurfacing of the
airport runway. Additionally, the East Line
bus terminal was completed and major
renovations to the Coast Guard headquarters
were undertaken. In Nevis, capital investment
was buoyed principally by continued work on
the Treasury building in Charlestown, the
resurfacing of roads and expansion work on