St. Kitts was the center of attention as the Tourism Authority hosted a congratulatory cake-cutting ceremony for the two lucky couples who were officially married as part of the Caribbean Weddings Ceremony. This was sponsored by the Condé Nast Bridal Group at the CTO Caribbean Fair held at South Street Seaport’s Pier 16 in Manhattan.

St. Kitts welcomed both newly wed couples in grand style at the ‘Romance in St. Kitts’ themed booth. The Tent covered booth was decorated for the occasion in a tropical setting, featuring colorful flowers with an arch formed from palm trees, with white draped fabric in the background complemented by metallic gold and ivory balloons.  Prominent in the booth were two new banners promoting ‘Romance in St. Kitts’, while a new video highlighting the natural beauty and heritage of the destination played in the background.

“We are proud to partner with Condé Nast Bridal Group and the CTO for this Caribbean weddings celebration,” said Minister Skerritt.  “Our participation reinforces our marketing strategy to highlight St. Kitts as a premier wedding and honeymoon destination. There is no better tourism region than the Caribbean, and St Kitts is certainly among the most romantic of the region’s wedding destinations.”

The two-layer wedding cake donated by St Kitts-based weddings planner “Dreamy Weddings” was adorned by creamy white icing garnished by delicate flowers made of pale pink and green frosting.  Following the cake cutting, Richard “Ricky” Skerritt, Minister of State in the Ministry of Tourism, Sports and Culture and Hugh Riley, Director of Marketing for the Americas for the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), led a toast to the couple with a lively ‘hip-hip-hooray!’  Local New York and Caribbean media were on-hand to cover the event.

Throughout the day, dozens of consumers visiting the St. Kitts booth registered to win a three-night stay at the Ocean Terrace Inn and interacted with two local St Kitts models attractively dressed as a couple about to be married.

The two weddings and subsequent cake-cutting ceremonies were part of the Caribbean Weddings Celebration held during the CTO sponsored Annual Caribbean Fair which is a full-day promotional event for the Caribbean as part of Caribbean week in New York, held this year from June 10-17, 2006.  The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), with headquarters in Barbados and marketing operations in New York, London and Toronto, is the Caribbean’s tourism development agency and comprises membership of 32 governments and a myriad of private sector entities.

Located in the northern Leeward Islands of the Caribbean, St. Kitts offers a diverse tourism product developed from the destination’s natural beauty, cultural heritage and rich history.  Originally populated by native Carib Indians, the island was colonized by the British in 1623 and gained its independence, in Federation with Nevis, in 1983.  It now offers visitors a wide variety of vacation activities including hiking through the tropical rainforest, riding the scenic railway that connects the island’s sugar plantations, touring Brimstone Hill Fortress, the only man-made UNESCO World Heritage site in the Eastern Caribbean, and the more traditional pastimes such as watersports, golf, shopping, tennis, gourmet dining, gaming at St. kitts’ exclusive casino or simply relaxing on one of the island’s sandy beaches.  Guests can select from accommodations ranging from intimate plantation inns to larger hotels or resorts.  In 2007, St. Kitts will be a host venue for the ICC (International Cricket Council) Cricket World Cup with six Phase One matches scheduled to take place at Warner Park Stadium in March 2007, featuring Australia, South Africa, Holland and Scotland.
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