It was a group of very keen and engaged local hoteliers, DMOs and attractions that met with some 20 buyers from at the Saint Lucia North American Showcase held 07JUL to 09JUL. At a lively marketplace with one-on-one appointments, PD sessions and even a day of networking (albeit on a luxury catamaran), the group celebrated the island’s progress post-Covid and shared ideas for maintaining momentum. And Open Jaw was there to take it all in.
In a wide-ranging speech to open the event, Minister of Tourism Dr. Ernest Hilaire remarked that 2022 visitor stats were almost back to pre-Covid levels, with Canada “really taking off” to Saint Lucia (airport code UVF) and while currently slightly below the stellar 2019, our numbers are set to surpass those by the end of the year.
“We want to move away from being a resort-based experience to a community-based experience,” Hilaire told the audience, stressing a new emphasis on getting out and about and interacting with locals, whether it’s the crafts producers, the local farmers or musicians. Saint Lucia has been known for its festivals and those are back, including the famed Jazz Festival, Carnival, Divefest, Roots & Soul and (apparently hotly-contested) flower festivals.
The Minister, who also acts as Deputy Prime Minister, is also keen to move away from an image of luxury-only accommodation such as those famous butler/private chef villas and expand the inventory of smaller, more modest hotels, to include the rapidly-expanding home-based options. This is doubtless to not only give the visitor more affordable options but engage a wider swathe of the population in the tourism sector, which is absolutely vital to the island.
“We were seven times British and seven times French,” he added – referring to the years when little Saint Lucia was the subject of a European tug of war, “And have a rich Creole heritage. We are the warmest people and most hospitable in the world – there’s something different about Saint Lucians. We have the ability to seduce you!”
UVF clearly doesn’t intend to rest on its many laurels, with waterfront enhancements planned for the capital Castries, Marigot Bay and Soufriere.
“We have navigated through the storm and emerged stronger than ever,” Paul Collymore, President of the Saint Lucia Hospitality Tourism Association stated at the opening ceremonies of the Showcase. “Let us celebrate the bright future that lies ahead.”
The conference wrapped up with a gala dinner and the presentation of the Inspiro Awards – complete with red carpet. Taking home hardware were WSV’s Cindy Gerhardt for best Canadian Tour Operator Campaign and ACV’s Angela Barroso for Top Revenue Contribution by a Canadian Tour Operator, Top Growth Producing by a Traditional Tour Operator and Canadian Tour Operator with the Most Growth in Room Nights in 2022.
The evening ended with the winners and losers hugging each other, the band cranking up the music to make your bones dance, everybody in a conga line and the waitresses shimmying as they cleared the tables. It was a good night indeed.
And, has been the case over the past few days at this conference, I often heard thanks being given to the tour operators, hoteliers, DMOs and other suppliers for all they do for Saint Lucians. Tourists clearly will never be taken for granted on this green and sunny gem of an island.
