标签： Saint Kitts and Nevis

A sweeping new policy change from global travel giant Booking.com has ignited fierce pushback across the Caribbean tourism industry, with regional hoteliers and industry bodies threatening legislative action and vowing to block the controversial change in the bloc. The policy, rolled out without prior consultation with Caribbean stakeholders, would for the first time require accommodation providers to pay commissions to Booking.com not just on base room rates, service charges and resort fees—the traditional model for commission calculations—but also on Value Added Tax (VAT), goods and services tax (GST), and other mandatory government-imposed taxes that hoteliers never retain as revenue.

The policy was scheduled to launch across the region on May 15, 2026, after the company privately notified individual hotel associations in Barbados and Grenada of the change. Those local groups quickly raised the alarm with the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), bringing the issue to the forefront of discussions at the organization’s 44th annual general meeting, hosted this year in St. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda.

Outgoing CHTA President Sanovnik Destang explained in interviews on the sidelines of the conference that the existing industry standard has long tied commission calculations only to actual revenue that hoteliers collect from guest stays. “They’re changing this now to also include VAT, GST, and other government taxes, which, as you know, is not revenue to the hotel,” Destang clarified.

During the conference, CHTA representatives held direct, high-stakes talks with Booking.com officials to register firm opposition to the change. Booking.com has defended the policy as part of a global rollout that is already implemented in multiple markets around the world, but regional stakeholders argue that one-size-fits-all global business practices do not automatically translate to the Caribbean’s unique tourism regulatory landscape.

CHTA officials note that while the practice may be allowed in some jurisdictions, it violates existing commercial laws in multiple Caribbean territories, though the organization has not yet named specific countries. The trade body is already coordinating directly with national tourism ministers and finance ministers across the region to draft and pass new legislation that would explicitly ban the practice, if it is not already prohibited under existing local laws.

Destang emphasized that the policy is not just legally questionable—it is fundamentally unfair from a commercial perspective. “It’s not fair to expect hotels to pay commissions of 15 percent, whatever percent — or 18 percent in some cases — on VAT, GST, and other taxes that hotels do not retain in the first place. So we’ve drawn a line in the sand at CHTA,” he said. He also criticized Booking.com for implementing the change unilaterally, with no advance warning, input, or consultation with the regional industry bodies that represent thousands of small and large accommodation providers across the Caribbean.

The CHTA has pledged an unwavering campaign to block the policy, stating that it will not be accepted under any circumstances across the Caribbean. The standoff marks one of the biggest conflicts between global online travel agencies and regional tourism operators in recent Caribbean history, with potential implications for industry revenues and regulatory policy across the bloc.”

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – May 15, 2026 – The St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla National Bank (SKNANB), one of the leading financial institutions in the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union, has announced a transformative core banking system upgrade that will reshape the banking experience for its thousands of retail and corporate clients across the region. This comprehensive infrastructure overhaul represents one of the most significant digital investments in the bank’s 50-plus year history, laying the groundwork for faster, more secure, and customer-centric financial services.

The initiative underscores SKNANB’s long-standing commitment to driving innovation, streamlining operational efficiency, and rolling out modern financial solutions aligned with the shifting needs of today’s consumers and business owners. For years, the bank has served as a cornerstone of economic development in St. Kitts and Nevis, holding more than $3 billion in total assets, over $2 billion in customer deposits, and a $1 billion-plus loan portfolio, so this upgrade is positioned to strengthen its ability to support community and commercial growth for decades to come.

Customers across all segments will see tangible improvements to their daily banking activities, with upgrades focused on boosting convenience, transaction speed, and user control over financial accounts. The changes span three core areas:

First, the bank will retire its existing separate mobile and online banking platforms in favor of a single, unified digital banking interface built for a more seamless, intuitive user experience. The new platform is designed to work consistently across mobile and desktop devices, eliminating the friction of disconnected services that many customers have previously navigated.

Second, corporate and business clients will gain access to expanded capabilities tailored to their operational needs. The unified business platform enhances both domestic and international payment processing, adds streamlined support for payroll and bulk payment workflows, includes secure multi-user access for business teams, and enables real-time monitoring of all account activity to help businesses manage cash flow more effectively.

Third, all customers will receive new account numbers for savings, chequing, term deposit, and loan products, where applicable. To ensure a smooth transition with no disruption to services, the bank will retain legacy account numbers and honor them throughout the entire transition period, giving clients ample time to update any automatic payments or direct deposit arrangements.

Beyond user-facing improvements, the upgraded core infrastructure delivers broader systemic benefits: faster end-to-end transaction processing, advanced digital tools for both customers and bank staff, expanded reporting and analytics capabilities that allow for more personalized financial insights, and strengthened security controls to protect customer data and financial assets against evolving cyber threats.

SKNANB has moved to reassure customers that all essential banking services will remain fully operational and stable throughout the system transition. To keep clients informed of key milestones, timeline updates, and frequently asked questions, the bank has launched a dedicated upgrade microsite at https://upgrade.sknanb.com/, where customers can access the latest information at any time. Clients requiring additional personalized support can reach out to the bank’s help team by emailing help@sknanb.com with the subject line “Core Banking Changes”.

As a publicly traded institution on the Eastern Caribbean Securities Exchange with more than 5,000 shareholders and the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis as its largest stakeholder, SKNANB remains focused on advancing national development across the federation. The core banking upgrade is part of the bank’s broader mission to deliver a full suite of financial products that support personal financial goals, drive sustainable business growth, and lift community prosperity across St. Kitts and Nevis.

In a public tender notice published on May 15, 2026 at 3:11 PM local time, the National Bank of Dominica Ltd. (NBD) has formally launched a prequalification application round for an upcoming planned construction project, calling on eligible industry operators to submit their interest. The banking institution is specifically seeking contractors with proven project experience and the required professional qualifications that hold operations or registration in Dominica and other member states of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). To participate in the prequalification process, interested eligible entities can obtain the full official prequalification documentation via two accessible channels: sending a request to the dedicated tender email address tenders@nbdominica.com, or accessing additional information and application instructions through the linked portal provided alongside the official notice. Prequalification serves as a critical initial screening step for public and private infrastructure projects, allowing the issuing institution to shortlist contractors that meet the technical, financial, and experience requirements before issuing full bid invitations for the construction work. This tender opening marks the first official step in NBD’s planned construction development, with more details on the project scope, timeline, and evaluation criteria to be shared with prequalified candidates once the initial screening process concludes.

As one of the Caribbean’s most influential annual tourism industry gatherings drew to a close in Antigua, the dual-island nation of St. Kitts and Nevis has emerged with promising new leads from the 44th Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) Marketplace. Held across two days at the American University of Antigua, the 2026 event brought more than 500 tourism stakeholders including international buyers, hospitality sellers, and industry media together to drive regional growth and showcase destination offerings. For St. Kitts and Nevis, the event marked a key milestone in the country’s push to expand its footprint in fast-growing new source markets. Delegations from the St. Kitts Tourism Authority (SKTA) and the Nevis Tourism Authority (NTA) participated as a unified delegation, positioning the Federation’s combined tourism product to global industry partners. SKTA Chief Executive Officer Kelly Fontenelle, who led the joint delegation, called the gathering exceptionally productive for the Caribbean nation’s tourism sector. In her assessment, the event delivered dual value: it strengthened long-standing commercial ties with existing industry partners, while unlocking critical access to untapped business opportunities, most notably across Latin America. “We have been working for months to build a presence in this region, and at CHTA Marketplace we connected with multiple tour operators actively seeking partnerships with local hotels and tourism stakeholders,” Fontenelle explained. “These operators are based in markets like Venezuela and Argentina, where clients enjoy visa-free entry to St. Kitts and Nevis, making this a natural expansion of our visitor base.” Beyond business development for St. Kitts and Nevis, the 44th CHTA Marketplace fulfilled its core industry mission: it underscored the outsized economic role of tourism across the Caribbean, while putting a spotlight on host nation Antigua and Barbuda’s own world-class hospitality offerings. Reflecting on the outcomes, Fontenelle emphasized that the event aligned perfectly with the Federation’s ongoing strategy to diversify its visitor sources and reduce dependence on traditional northern markets. “This has been an incredibly busy and productive event for our team, and we are eager to see what partnerships emerge from these conversations in the coming months,” she said. Looking back at early 2025 visitor arrival data, Fontenelle noted that St. Kitts and Nevis, like most competing Caribbean destinations, got off to a robust start to the year. “Nearly every island in the region reported a strong first quarter, starting the year with a surge in bookings,” she recalled. “We did see a small dip after political unrest in Venezuela disrupted regional travel early in January, but demand rebounded strongly through February and March, putting us back on track.” Still, the industry leader highlighted growing headwinds that are causing concern across the region ahead of the Northern Hemisphere summer travel season. Fontenelle pointed to shifting airline dynamics that have put upward pressure on airfares, dampening consumer demand for regional travel. “Airlines have reported that total revenue is holding up, but passenger load factors are down – what that means is ticket prices have gone up significantly,” she explained. “Carriers are still turning a profit, but fewer people are able to afford to travel right now, which is softening summer demand across the Caribbean.” To address this systemic challenge, Fontenelle proposed that Caribbean destination stakeholders collaborate to tackle rising airfare costs, a shared barrier that threatens to cut into visitor arrivals across the entire region. Even with the near-term uncertainty surrounding the summer 2025 travel season, Fontenelle remained upbeat about the Federation’s full-year outlook, particularly for the peak winter tourism season that drives the bulk of annual tourism revenue for most Caribbean destinations. “Winter bookings are tracking well ahead of expectations, which aligns with our long-standing strategy of launching promotional campaigns early to capture early-booking winter travelers,” she noted. “As things stand today, the winter season looks very strong for St. Kitts and Nevis.”