St. Kts: Trying to tax the golden goose to death

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts -Tourism Ministers of the Council of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) have renewed calls for the Caribbean to impose a US$20 cruise ship passenger tax.

The issue was first proposed by St. Kitts' Tourism Minister Dwyer Astaphan at a conference of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) held in Barbados some years ago, however, the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) has opposed the idea.

During the 26th Caribbean Tourism Conference (CTC) held in St. Thomas, USVI last October the matter was again discussed at length by tourism officials from 15 Caribbean islands, CTO officials and cruise industry executives, however, they were still divided on their decision.

At their meeting here last Thursday, the OECS tourism ministers revisited the subject of the tax levy with the OECS Director- General Len Ishmael, appealing agreement on taxation for the cruise industry.

"At the end of last year, at the Sea Trade Cruise Ship Conference it was announced that one cruise line had generated impressive profits of upwards of 1.3 billion US dollars from the sale of shore excursions," she pointed out.