Black Meetings and Tourism

without the glitter or paparazzi. The two islands that make up the Federation of St. Kitts & Nevis are situat- ed in the, roughly 1,200 miles from Miami. St. Kitts, the larger of the two, is 68 square miles with a population of just over 35,000. The island is a place of tremendous history. Its location made it an important gateway into the Caribbean and as such has seen its fair share of power struggles. Today, the peaceful calm that resides over the island belies its tur- bulent past. Because its coasts lie on both the Atlantic and the Caribbean Sea, St. Kitts has several types of beaches. The southern part of the island boasts honey brown beaches such as Frigate Bay, White House Bay, and Sand Bank Bay while the northern part of the island has black volcanic sand beaches like Dieppe Bay. The eastern coast experi- ences heavy Atlantic surf and the west- ern coast has the Caribbean's calm, blue waters. The tiny island of St. Eustatius, affectionately called Statia, is situated in the northwest Caribbean just 20 minutes from St. Maarten and just a few hours from many major US cities. Statia offers visitors a variety of natu- ral attractions and activities including diving, hiking and sunbathing while the small number of hotels allows for complete peace and quiet. The island enjoys a climate that is generally dry and sunny. Light northeast tradewinds bring constant cool breezes and suffi- cient moisture to keep daytime tem- peratures from getting too warm. So anytime of year is a great time to visit. Diving is a major part of Statia's tourism draw. The warm water and underwater volcanic fissures and canyons have given the area a diversified diving selection. Divers can discover coral and sponge covered walls and pinnacles with dramatic backdrops of visual delights. One of the many dive sites in Statia con- sists of tangled shipwrecks located in 60 to 70 ft. of water. Many of these wrecks are surrounded by hundreds of schooling snappers, goat fish and others. For those interested in archeological dives, Statia has its fair share. The islands of Antigua & Barbuda are located roughly 17 degrees north of the equator. The expansive winding coastline provides a wealth of seclud- ed, powdery soft beaches. The exquisite coral reefs attract visitors from around the world while the quiet island of Barbuda is home to one of the region's most significant bird sanctuaries. There are 365 beaches on Antigua, one for every day of the year. The majority of the island's beaches rest inside the calm, protected waters of the island's Caribbean side. All are open to the public, and so the challenge for a visi- tor is to locate the beach that suits one's individual tastes. When traveling to any of these desti- nations, be sure to have your passport ready. While the US dollar is still widely accepted, be certain you know the exchange rates. Many of the smaller islands use EC dollars, making it very easy to use one currency on an assort- ment of islands. WHO YOU GONNA CALL? Antigua & Barbuda Tourist Office (888) 268-4227 www.antigua-barbuda.org St. Eustatius Tourism Development Foundation – 001-713-622-8000 www.statiatourism.com St. Kitts Tourism Authority (800) 582-6208 www.stkittstourism.kn Nevis Tourism Authority (866) 55 – NEVIS www.nevisisland.com The Anguilla Tourist Board (800) 553-4939 www.anguilla-vacation.com The British Virgin Islands Tourist Board (800) 835-8530 www.bvitourism.com St. Maarten Tourist Office (212) 953-2084 www.st-maarten.com St. Martin Tourist Office – (877) 956-1234 www.st-martin.org Black Meetings & Tourism June/July 2009: www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 65 AREA GUIDES St. Martin, young carnival Dancer Oyster Pond St. Maarten Island Photo Credit: St. Martin Office of tourism Photo Credit: St. Maarten Office of tourism Photo Credit: St. Maarten Office of tourism

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