The Government of Saint Lucia has been working to amplify the maritime sector and its offering. Since the commencement of the Cruise Season in the nation, many large and small cruises have been welcomed in the country, the authorities believed that the 2022 cruise season would bring more than 135,810 guests to Saint Lucia, leading to new opportunities for local artisans, souvenir shops, food vendors and others.
As per the official data, in December 2022 alone, the island is expecting to welcome more than 50 cruise ships to its shores, including some of the world’s biggest such as the Norwegian Epic, MSC Seaside, and Enchanted Princess. As Saint Lucia becomes one of the favourite destinations for cruise ship passengers, the Government is developing new attractions to increase the on-island engagement of travellers and build more duty-free shopping zones.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investment, Creative Industries, Culture and Information Ernest Hilaire stated that the Government plans to create a sustainable and robust tourism industry that can withstand various shocks, whether natural disasters or economic challenges.
The Government of Saint Lucia is also upgrading two of the island’s most significant ports through a project costing $47 million. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has been signed with Global Port Holdings (GPH) to carry out the massive refurbishment of Castries Harbour in the North and the Soufriere waterfront on the West Coast. The upgradation will also increase the berthing capacity of Port Castries, making it capable of handling some of the world’s largest cruise ships.
The authorities stated that the changes at the Soufriere waterfront would include improved docking facilities and a well-defined retained space for local vendors. General Manager of Saint Lucia Air and Sea Ports Authority Sean Matthew believes that these investments into the cruise ports will help the island to increase its mark of passengers to one million in the next two years.
Besides the upgradation of the porting capacities, the Government also plans to make the surroundings more available to local vendors as it aims to increase the time cruise ship passengers spend on the island. It will also encourage them to do more on-island spending in terms of providing business to local shopkeepers, vendors and others. The plans of the new Government aim to make the island a “premier cruise destination” of the sub-region and elevate the experience it can offer to travellers.
Additionally, a one-mile-long boardwalk along the Castries Waterfront from La Place Carenage to Point Seraphin will also be developed. It will be lined up with several different vendors selling different products and give locals a better chance to participate in the tourism industry.
The Government of Saint Lucia is working diligently to ensure that the tourism industry offers numerous opportunities to a wide array of people in society by encouraging ownership and participation. A great emphasis is being paid to giving travellers an “authentic Saint Lucian” experience.
Ahead of the cruise ship season, the Government also held a special meeting with all stakeholders in the first week of October to find solutions to give an improved visitor experience. The cruise sector continues to remain a high priority for Saint Lucia as a tourist destination. The Ministry of Tourism endeavours to build more interesting site-seeing experiences for guests by developing new sites, creating new attractions, and more eateries and restaurants, among other things.
Many cruise ship passengers just want to spend their day lying and enjoying the sunny weather, and Saint Lucia has one of the most beautiful beaches in the region. The Tourism Ministry also plans to make public beaches more accessible. The plans are to develop the beaches in order to accommodate more people.
The upgrading of cruise ports and beaches and the development of additional facilities to attract more travellers to the island is one of the initial steps to promote the product (tourism industry). The new administration endeavours to ensure that Saint Lucia is safe for every Saint Lucian and also for other visitors. The new developments will give stakeholders a better opportunity in the island’s hospitality industry. It will rebrand the entire cruise product and increase the footfall of tourists to the island. Another goal is to inspire cruisers to become overnight stayers on the island so that other sectors of hospitality and service can benefit.
Notably, some of the major refurbishments and developments are taking place on the island with the help of the country’s Citizenship by Investment Programme (CIP). The Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) received under the CIP is accelerating development island-wide, helping the construction of new tourism facilities, hotels, restaurants, spas, resorts and other attractions to attract more travellers.
Using the CIP as support, Saint Lucia seeks to maximise the benefits of the cruise and tourism industry. The St Lucia Air & Sea Ports Authority also continues to develop port facilities and enhancements, while the Ministry of Tourism strives to ensure that its auxiliary services meet the sector’s needs. The Government of Saint Lucia also is attempting to develop the infrastructure and atmosphere required for the tourism industry to maximise the opportunities presented by hundreds of thousands of people visiting the island.
