Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Saint Lucia Hospitality and Tourism Association (SLHTA), Noorani Azeez, has voiced concerns about crime and waste disposal challenges in Saint Lucia which he says affect both residents and the island’s tourism industry.
In an interview with St Lucia Times, in which he also spoke about the association’s programmes to help develop the tourism sector, Azeez was quick to point out that crime is an issue that affects all citizens, beyond its implications for tourism.
“I think our biggest concerns, first and foremost, are as citizens of the country and as residents in Saint Lucia,” he stated. “I think no one wants to live in an environment where crime levels are very high, especially given the nature of some of the crimes in recent years—gang-related murders, incidents involving the use of ammunition, drug trafficking, and similar offences. That makes everybody uncomfortable.”
Azeez acknowledged that while violent crime is a pressing issue for the local population, petty crimes against visitors also present challenges.
He explained that those incidents create a negative impression of Saint Lucia as a tourist destination.
“Petty crimes in terms of the snatching, the accosting, and the harassment—I think generally, it is a concern because it leaves a very poor definition of what a vacation experience in Saint Lucia could look like,” Azeez noted.
With social media playing a crucial role in shaping perceptions of travel destinations, Azeez said it was important to address this issue collectively.
“That affects all of us at the end of the day because their reach on social media is quite broad,” he said.
“I think there’s significant work to be done as a collective in how we approach these guests. The volume’s growing from year to year; we have to do a better job of getting people to appreciate the negative impact of some of these petty crimes and misdemeanours.”
On the issue of waste disposal, particularly in the Castries area—more specifically “town”—, the SLHTA CEO said no complaints have reached his desk regarding visitors’ perceptions of cleanliness. However, he would like to see better waste management systems implemented in Saint Lucia.
“It is highly unfortunate that our systems are not as dependable as we would like them to be,” he said. “But I think as citizens also, we need to look at what kind of remedial measures we can take at the domestic level to address our waste disposal habits.”
“I question sometimes how many families are conscious of their use of single-use plastic and how those are disposed of, of how they go about composting at a domestic level and ensuring that some of the organic waste does not necessarily make its way into the landfill.”
Nationally, Azeez believes waste collection and disposal systems must be “a lot more regenerative, a lot more predictable and a lot more consistent with the image of the destination that we’re trying to pitch to our visitors”.
Meanwhile, the SLHTA CEO has outlined plans for increased investment in human capital development in 2025.
He reflected on the success of several initiatives launched by the association to facilitate tourism sector development through robust management. He pointed to these initiatives as a potential influence on the organisation’s 2025 vision.
“We really want to build on some of our more successful programmes that we have had in recent years,” Azeez said, specifically referencing those introduced in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We believe that these programmes have really been working towards the collective interest of our country and the investors in tourism. Some of these programmes focus predominantly on human capital development. We believe that there’s significant work to be done in raising our standards of productivity so that we can make a more constructive bid for tourism dollars.”
Looking ahead, Azeez said the SLHTA will dedicate further energy and resources to discussions related to regenerative tourism, human capital development, and the circular economy this year.
