The opposition United Workers Party (UWP) has challenged the government’s narrative of sustained growth in the sector, citing figures that suggest a downward trend in visitor arrivals and warning of what they describe as an “airlift crisis.”
“A recent report from the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority reveals that the island’s main economic driver is on a downward slide,” Senator Dominic Fedee, a former tourism minister, told the opposition UWP’s weekly press briefing on Tuesday.
According to unpublished figures cited by Fedee, UWP candidate for Anse La Raye, arrivals dropped by 2 per cent in January and February, fell by 7 per cent in March, and registered no growth in April.
Compared to the same 4-month period last year, destination arrivals are down 3 per cent, he said.
Fedee also drew attention to declines in two key source markets – the UK by 25 per cent and Canada by 23 per cent.
The former minister linked the reported dip in arrivals to a reduction in international flights and insufficient government response to changing travel dynamics. “The bigger problem confronting the tourism sector is an airlift crisis,” he said.
The suspension of Virgin Atlantic and TUI flights from the UK, as well as a reduced number of direct flights from the United States are signs that tourism is at risk, he said.
He also pushed back against claims that the closure of the Mystique and Starfish hotels, resulting in the temporary loss of about 500 rooms, was to blame for any shortfalls: “Your problems of a lack of performance, Mr Minister, is not about losing 500 rooms. It is deeper than that,” he said. “There’s a lack of marketing, airlift, strategy, and proactiveness.”
At a Cabinet press briefing in April, tourism minister Dr Ernest Hilaire cited a mismatch between Virgin Atlantic’s family-focused UK market and the Saint Lucian market’s growing preference for couples-only luxury resorts and branding, as a reason for the airline’s exit.
“We have promised that there will be more rooms on the market but rooms aren’t ready yet,” Hilaire said.
At this week’s cabinet press briefing, Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre expressed optimism about an increase in rooms to come and their impact on the economy. “One thousand rooms are going to be built on the strip by Rodney Bay,” he said. “We noticed that there’s more employment happening at the A’ila construction, Secrets [Resort] opened last week…so we expect an expansion in the economy,” Pierre stated after listing a number of construction projects set to begin.
The Saint Lucia Tourism Authority also maintains that the country’s tourism sector is on an upward trajectory. Speaking at the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association Marketplace in Antigua two weeks ago, SLTA CEO Louis Lewis painted a more optimistic picture.
“For 2025 so far, we are already off to a strong start, having received over 41,000 stayover visitors. Our major source markets remain strong, with the United States leading at 58.25 per cent, followed by the United Kingdom at 18.93 per cent, the Caribbean at 12.74 per cent, and Canada at 8.41 per cent,” he said.
Lewis also referred to visitor interest from markets such as France, Germany, St Maarten and Latin America that could help the country diversify its tourism base.
“As we grow, we are committed to doing so sustainably,” he added. “Over the next three years, Saint Lucia, now proudly referred to as the Green Heart of the Caribbean, will continue to place sustainability at the forefront of our tourism strategy.”
