The Saint Lucia Tourism Authority (SLTA) is looking to reposition its market to also include the island’s potential in the blue economy. The blue economy, or the ocean economy, is a term used to describe the economic activities associated with the oceans and seas.
The SLTA’s new Chief Executive Officer, Louis Lewis, made the blue economy declaration on the sidelines of the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers’ 2024 launch at Rodney Bay.
Saint Lucia has served as the finish line for the internationally recognised sailing race for 39 years and counting.
According to Lewis, a strategic plan has been prepared. “We recently concluded a strategic plan for the entire marine sector as far as the promotion of the industry is concerned. We are charting a course for its growth. The water sector in particular is very important. We are an island state and it’s part of the attractive amenities that we provide. It’s part of one of the features that we use to entice people to come to Saint Lucia. And we are taking it very seriously,” he explained.
The Tourism official explains that increased development of and investment in marine infrastructure is required if Saint Lucia hopes to compete internationally in marine spaces.
“We have some work to do on the local side in terms of getting more people to be part of the sector, supplying the sector, getting sourcing materials that are their requirements. All for, of course, the benefits of livelihoods on the island,” he said.
At present, Lewis boasts that Saint Lucia has some marine attractions but there is still more work needed in order to maximise potential. “The Billfish Tournament – this has been going on for a number of years and it’s getting better. It’s getting stronger. We are seeing more people engaging in it. More islands are coming across and participating in this tournament that we host here. It has tremendous potential but we are far from maximizing what we can get out of it,” Lewis said.
Every November since 1986 the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers has set sail from Las Palmas, bound westward across the Atlantic to Saint Lucia and the wider Caribbean.
Bringing together yachts from all over the world, the fleet gathers in Las Palmas Marina and takes a three week journey across the Atlantic and ends in Rodney Bay, Saint Lucia.
