Mélange Travel & Lifestyle Magazine July 2016 | Page 146

INTERVIEW
with Minister of Tourism, Nevis
Honourable Mark Brantley

Do you speak for St. Kitts and Nevis or for
Nevis only?

I represent the island of Nevis as its tourism Minister
having responsibility to articulate Nevis’ tourism
vision and chart the course of what is the most
significant economic engine for the island. Our
sister island of St Kitts has its own unique tourism
product and its own Minister of Tourism.

Nevis has been referred to as the island
of sport and also as one of the world’s
20 most romantic islands, which of the
two would you say comes closest to
your perception of your island?
Nevis evokes memories of how the Caribbean used
to be. Elegant, old world, charming. Our tag line is
“Nevis Naturally” and we offer the discerning traveler
a truly authentic Caribbean luxury experience. Our
island is known for its sporting initiatives like the
cross Channel swim which takes swimmers across the
2 mile strait of open seas between St Kitts and Nevis,
the annual triathlon as well as our running festival
and annual fishing festival. Surprisingly the island also
has tucked away in the parish of St James one of the
Caribbean’s few purpose built drag race tracks. But
we are also an incredibly romantic island with lush
gardens, exquisite hotels and a level of understated
sophistication which underpins our various offerings.
Nevis’ dining scene is second to none in the region.
We are therefore an island for sport and for romance
but for me we are mostly an island known for the
warmth and genuine hospitality of our people.
142

What is especially unique about Nevis?

Nevis is a small island which is well preserved with
much of its colorful history intact. From one of the
oldest Jewish settlements in the Americas to the first
hotel built in the Americas to the birthplace of the
US Founding Father Alexander Hamilton to the place
where Lord Admiral Hotatio Nelson met and married
Nevisian Frances Fannie Nisbett to the island where
old plantation houses have been lovingly restored
to offer bespoke luxury accommodations, Nevis
is resplendent with history. But what we celebrate
most on Nevis is our naturalness. That sen se of being
at one with nature and protecting and preserving
our environment for generations yet unborn. Nevis
has one of the only wind farms in the entire region
generating electricity. It will shortly have a waste to
energy and solar farm added to the electricity mix.
Lastly it is on the cusp of developing its geothermal
energy which has been promised By December 2017.
When geothermal comes online, fully 100% of Nevis’
electricity will be generated by renewables which will
set Nevis far apart from its competition. When the
geothermal switch is flicked, Nevis will become the
greenest place on planet Earth.