COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED TO U.S. IWC DELEGATION

UNCLAS BRIDGETOWN 000963

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR OES/OA JOHN FIELD AND HUNTER CASHDOLLAR

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL OTRA ETRD SENV EFIS KSCA SC XL
SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED TO U.S. IWC DELEGATION
FOR TRAVEL TO ST. KITTS AND NEVIS

REF: STATE 91880


1. Embassy Bridgetown welcomes and grants clearance to
members of the U.S. International Whaling Commission (IWC)
Delegation for travel to St. Kitts and Nevis. Members of the
delegation will begin arriving on/about June 7, and will
depart o/a June 22. The delegation will attend the 58th
Annual Meeting of the IWC.


2. Per reftel, Embassy understands assistance is not
required. Current information indicates that all members of
the delegation will stay at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort,
tel: 869/466-1200.


3. Embassy Bridgetown requests an outbrief be provided to the
Political/Economic Section relating to activities while in
the region within 10 working days of completion of travel.
Please provide the outbrief by telephone, 246/436-4950,
x2228, or by fax at 246/431-0384.


4. Entry requirements: Mission policy is that all USG
travelers to the region be in possession of a valid passport.
There is a departure tax of 45 xcd (Eastern Caribbean)
dollars or 16.50 U.S. dollars. Members of the delegation
traveling on U.S. Government Official Passports will not have
to pay the departure tax. Members of the delegation
traveling on tourist passports will have to pay the departure
tax.


5. The exchange rate in St. Kitts and Nevis is 2.70 xcd
(Eastern Caribbean) dollars for one U.S. dollar. U.S.
currency, travelers' checks, and credit cards are routinely
and widely accepted.


6. The following is general information pertaining to
security and health considerations throughout the Eastern
Caribbean:

Security
--------------

In the Eastern Caribbean, foot travel outside of
well-established tourist areas is not generally recommended,
especially at night. Be vigilant when using public
telephones or ATM machines near roadsides or quiet areas. As
in many U.S. metropolitan areas, wearing expensive jewelry,
carrying expensive objects, or carrying large amounts of cash
should be avoided. Visitors should also safeguard valuables
while at the beach. While hotels are generally safe, many
visitors have experienced loss of unattended items. Hotel
burglaries are not uncommon and all valuables should be
locked in room safes if possible.


Health
--------------

Throughout the Eastern Caribbean, the most likely threat to a
visitor's health is sunburn. It takes several weeks to
become accustomed to the heat and humidity. Prolonged
exposure to the sun, without protection, causes sunburn and
may ultimately result in sun-damaged skin or even skin
cancer. Sunscreens should be used for protection. In
Barbados, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines the
major health threat is dengue fever, transmitted by mosquito.
Dengue cases are most often seen in the summer months.
Persons should therefore protect themselves with insect
repellent. There is a growing number of HIV/AIDS cases
reported. The Eastern Caribbean enjoys clean and safe
drinking water. Only routine boosters for immunizations
(i.e., tetanus, diphtheria, and oral polio vaccine) are
required when traveling to this region. Barbados has the
best medical facilities of all the islands in the region and
most of the medical specialties have practitioners here.
KRAMER