Kelly Fontenelle, the Saint Lucian-born Chief Executive Officer of the St. Kitts Tourism Authority, has received the prestigious Tourism Executive of the Year award from Caribbean Journal. The recognition highlights her exceptional leadership in driving the federation’s tourism sector to new heights through innovative strategies and targeted promotional efforts.
Caribbean Journal specifically commended Fontenelle for her relentless pursuit of growth through strategic travel initiatives, targeted promotion, and a remarkable campaign to position St. Kitts as a premier destination within the global travel industry. The publication emphasized her success in keeping the destination ‘top of mind for the global travel trade.’
In an exclusive interview with St. Lucia Times, Fontenelle expressed humility and credited her entire team for the achievement. ‘This was a really nice honour and this is not just an honour for me, because it has been a team effort,’ she stated. ‘Behind me there is a fantastic team… the Minister for Tourism Marsha Henderson who is very influential in what we do and we have a wonderful board of directors. So the entire team is part of this honour.’
When questioned about the key factors behind St. Kitts’ tourism success in 2025, Fontenelle identified three critical elements: enhanced destination visibility through expanded advertising in previously untapped markets, a strategic partnership with English football star Cole Palmer that significantly boosted brand recognition, and increased engagement with travel advisors. These coordinated efforts collectively propelled the destination’s tourism performance beyond previous benchmarks.
Fontenelle, who hails from southern Saint Lucia, assumed her role as CEO in 2024 after serving as Director of Marketing for the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority in the USA. During her tenure there, she played a fundamental role in developing the Saint Lucia Expert (SLEx) loyalty program, which generated substantial growth for brand agents within five years. She is also credited with creating the Romance Specialist Programme for Saint Lucia and was instrumental in establishing the diaspora program. Additionally, Fontenelle founded Travel Advisors Selling the Caribbean, now recognized as the region’s foremost travel advisory company.
The Caribbean Travel Awards, established by Caribbean Journal in 2014, represent the world’s premier celebration of Caribbean travel excellence, honoring exceptional destinations, accommodations, culinary experiences, and the dedicated professionals who contribute to making the region a world-class tourism destination.
