Announcing Saint Lucia’s half-year performance review at a news conference Monday, the Chief Executive Officer of the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority (SLTA) declared a ‘sustainable comeback’.
“We have been resilient, and now we are proud to say that Saint Lucia as a destination is nearing record levels,” Lorine Charles-St. Jules told reporters.
The SLTA official disclosed that by the end of July 2023, Saint Lucia had recorded a twelve percent growth of stayover arrivals from 2022.
She said this represented 235 000 visitor arrivals over 2019, putting the destination at 90 percent of 2019 arrivals.
Charles-St. Jules said the basis for the performance was high destination demand, with rave reviews for Saint Lucia.
She also cited the resumption of travel.
She told reporters that January and May represented the ‘stellar months’, recording three percent growth over 2019 figures.
However, June and July recorded some dips.
But the SLTA Chief Executive Officer indicated that officials mentioned in March that the expected dip was due mainly to stock decline, United Kingdom challenges, and unexpected economic woes in the United States, the UK, and some Caribbean contraction.
She recalled that this year’s projection indicated that the Caribbean would be one of the growth pillars compared to last year.
“Definitely, we have seen such growth,” Charles-St. Jules told Tuesday’s news conference.
In addition, she said the United States market led for five months and recorded the best performance ever for Saint Lucia in April 2023.
The US occupied 56 percent of stayover arrivals for 2023 so far – the largest market share, followed by the United Kingdom with twenty percent.
“Canada has now doubled in size compared to last year. So Canada recorded one hundred percent growth so far for the year,” the SLTA official revealed.
Officials expect that by year-end, the Caribbean market will lead the growth due to discussions on improving regional air and ferry travel to Saint Lucia, in which Tourism Minister Dr. Ernest Hilaire participated.
Charles-St. Jules told reporters that Saint Lucia recorded 6,500 visitors from the Caribbean for July, which she described as a significant improvement over last year.
Guyana, Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines represented the growth areas.
“Nearing record levels,” So my question to you Lorine Charles-St. Jules what percentage is missing to reach the record levels??? once again it’s good to keep our hopes alive however you officials need to have someone more intelligent write your press release statements before you go out there talking the reports..
In the release it was stated that “ She said this represented 235 000 visitor arrivals over 2019, putting the destination at 90 percent of 2019 arrivals.” 2019 is when Saint Lucia experienced record numbers. Maybe you should get someone more intelligent to read/interpret press releases on your behalf.
Re Article, with the influx of Tourism, What about the hotel’s workers? They deserve a fair living wage of $10+ per hours worked, to share the wealth…
Hotel workers are people Too..
After almost 45 years of pretense at independence & sovereignty by St. Lucia, it is not surprising that we continue to struggle in the colonial trap of single plantation crops: first sugar; then bananas; and now tourism!
Someone should explain why St. Lucians are so fully involved in industry which only accrues 2% of its proceeds to the local populace, while 98% is sent overseas! The only difference between slavery & now is that we are allowed 2% of the proceeds to be able to sustain our lives, instead of massa being responsible for our well-being, as before!