St. Kitts & Nevis Will Reopen to Visitors on Oct. 31

The twin-island Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis announced it will reopen its borders to international visitors on Oct. 31, after a monthslong shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. It is the last destination in the Caribbean to do so.

"The genuinely friendly people of St. Kitts & Nevis are a key component of our tourism product, so the protocols we have established aim to provide for their safety in interacting with visitors as well as visitors' safety in interacting with our people,” The Hon. Mark Brantley, Minister of Foreign Affairs & Aviation, said in a press release shared with Travel + Leisure. “It is critical to travelers' perceptions of St. Kitts & Nevis as a safe and desirable destination of choice as well as to citizens and residents own safety in embracing their return."

While the Federation has not yet released information about rules for travel when tourists arrive, all non-nationals are currently subject to a 14-day quarantine upon arrival at a resort, costing $500, according to the State Department.

The State Department's travel advisory for Saint Kitts & Nevis is a Level 3, advising travelers to "reconsider travel."

Last month, the CDC updated its travel warning to “no travel notice” required, meaning that the risk of contracting COVID-19 in St Kitts & Nevis is very low. It is one of only 10 countries in the Caribbean to have this distinction.

In order for businesses on St. Kitts and Nevis to reopen, employers and employees were mandated to undergo “Travel Approved” training to receive a certification and seal. Visitors should look out for businesses displaying the “Travel Approved” seal as an additional level of safety.

St Kitts and Nevis reported a total of only 19 confirmed cases during its outbreak and zero deaths.

American Airlines will resume service to St Kitts and Nevis from Miami on Nov. 4, according to the federation’s tourism board. Delta and United will resume weekly service on Dec. 19.

The reopening of St Kitts and Nevis comes months after many other Caribbean destinations reopened their borders to tourists. On other islands, reopenings began as early as June. At the same time that other islands reopened, St Kitts and Nevis announced they would remain closed until at least October.

Cailey Rizzo is a contributing writer for Travel + Leisure, currently based in Brooklyn. When in a new city, she's usually out to discover under-the-radar art, culture, and secondhand stores. No matter her location, you can find her on Twitter, on Instagram or at caileyrizzo.com.