Saint Lucia’s participation in Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan, has sparked both celebration and scrutiny.
While many Saint Lucians applauded the cultural showcase on Saint Lucia Day last week, others raised concerns about the size of the delegation, the cost to taxpayers and the transparency of the organising agencies.
In response, Export Saint Lucia convened a press conference on September 10 to clarify the rationale behind the country’s presence at the World Expo and to defend the government’s investment.
Officials argued that the long-term benefits, ranging from trade and tourism to cultural diplomacy and international branding, far outweigh the costs.
“When you look at the benefit coming out of Expos and what you get from Expos, it’s a lot more than what would have been invested there,” said Export Saint Lucia CEO Sunita Daniel.
Daniel revealed that the government allocated EC$738,559 to support the creative team and promotional materials.
While the total cost of participation exceeds EC$3 million, she emphasised that the government’s contribution was targeted and strategic.
“Japan did allow a certain number of creatives that they would cover the cost for,” she explained.
“But we did not think that it would allow us to adequately showcase Saint Lucian culture at the level that we wanted. So we took the decision to match the number of creatives Japan would be paying for.”
The result was a 30-member creative team, supported by three Export Saint Lucia officials, who delivered a cultural presentation during Saint Lucia Day.
The day featured an official ceremony, a parade through the Expo grounds, and the Rhythms of Iyanola concert, which was live-streamed to audiences at home and abroad.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism, Investment, Creative Industries, Culture and Information Dr Ernest Hilaire, who led the delegation, described the experience as “fantastic”.
“We put on Saint Lucia Day – in the morning we had the official ceremony, followed by the cultural presentation. We then had the parade of Saint Lucia through World Expo, which was another fantastic presentation with a great turnout, and the support was really amazing,” Hilaire told reporters.
He also highlighted the Saint Lucia Business Forum hosted by Brand Saint Lucia, which brought together agencies including Export Saint Lucia, CIP Saint Lucia, the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority and Invest Saint Lucia.
The forum targeted Japanese and regional investors, presenting Saint Lucia as a premier destination and showcasing export-ready products and services.
Saint Lucia’s pavilion has already registered more than one million visitors, Hilaire revealed, underscoring the scale of exposure available through the Expo, which is expected to attract over 25 million attendees by its close in October.
Export Saint Lucia’s Director of Client Management, Glenfield Gilbert, provided historical context for the country’s participation, noting that Saint Lucia has attended World Expos in Shanghai (2010), Milan (2015), Kazakhstan (2017) and Dubai (2022).
“There are a number of benefits for participating in World Expos – global visibility and branding, opportunities for trade and export, and direct avenues for showcasing Saint Lucian goods and services, including sea moss, rums and condiments,” Gilbert said.
He also acknowledged the emotional toll of public criticism on the creative team.
“Some of the questions raised in the media and via social media had dampened the spirits of some of the creatives who worked really hard to put on a great showing,” Gilbert said.
Among those creatives was calypsonian TC Brown, who praised the team’s unity and professionalism.
“Whoever put the team together did an exceptionally wonderful job,” Brown told St. Lucia Times.
“There were no divas, everyone understood the mission – to go out there and represent Saint Lucia at the highest level, and I think we did that.”
Daniel added that many officials from other agencies paid their own way to attend, though she could not confirm exact numbers.
“There were only three officials from Export Saint Lucia who attended Expo Osaka,” she said. “Quite a few of the others paid their own way personally.”
Plans are underway to restage the Rhythms of Iyanola concert in Saint Lucia, giving local audiences a chance to experience the cultural showcase firsthand.
