The Saint Lucia Hospitality and Tourism Association’s (SLHTA) CEO Noorani Azeez has acknowledged the urgent need to rethink coastal development in the island, following a stark warning from climate expert Dr James Fletcher about the rising threat of sea-level rise to beachfront resorts.
Fletcher, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) climate envoy, warned last week in an address to SLHTA members that rising sea levels threaten Saint Lucia’s beachfront resorts, the cornerstone of its tourism industry. Citing the State of the Caribbean Climate 2020 report, he projected catastrophic costs, including US$1.6 billion in resort replacement expenses across the Caribbean from just a 1-metre sea-level rise.
In a statement to St Lucia Times, Azeez affirmed Fletcher’s concerns, stating: “Dr Fletcher offered a timely challenge to current development patterns, urging a fundamental shift in how we plan, build and invest. His call to re-evaluate our focus on coastal development was not a rejection of the sector’s accomplishments, but rather a candid appeal for introspection.”
Azeez emphasised the tension between consumer demand and sustainability.
“We must remember that tourism is shaped by what travellers want,” he said. “Consumer preferences largely drive the demand for beachfront tourism, especially among visitors seeking leisure, weddings and honeymoons. But we also accept the responsibility to reshape the tourism product in ways that are more environmentally and economically sound.”
Azeez also highlighted Fletcher’s broader warning that environmental degradation isn’t limited to coastlines.
“Poor inland planning also endangers ecosystems, reinforcing the call for sustainability at all levels,” the CEO said.
Several new coastal developments, some backed by government agencies, are in progress in Saint Lucia, aiming to broaden the island’s appeal as a luxury and wellness destination and further boost its celebrity cachet. They include Courtyard by Marriott and A’ILA Resorts.
Fletcher had issued a blunt warning to stop building hotels on the beach. He cautioned that some prime resorts are in the path of unrelenting water surges and “will become very soon over-the-water suites if we do not pay attention to this.”
Invest Saint Lucia, the government’s investment promotion arm, declined to comment on Fletcher’s remarks.
I have for very long recognised this ‘head in the sand’ mentality here, promoted by outside forces & successive governments, chasing $profit at any cost, which mostly serves overseas organisations. We will all live to regret it locally.