Saint Lucia hosts North American – Saint Lucia Showcase

14/07/2023

By Miguel Mauricette, GIS

The Saint Lucia Tourism Authority (SLTA) hosted the eighth annual North American – Saint Lucia Showcase in partnership with Recommend Magazine, earlier this week. The Showcase served as a crucial forum for open dialogue and exchange among local businesses, entrepreneurs, and innovators, providing an ideal opportunity for the development of mutually beneficial partnerships.

The North American – Saint Lucia Showcase has been meticulously curated to highlight the richness and diversity of experiences available in Saint Lucia and to discover the hidden treasures that lie within the island’s lush rainforests, pristine beaches and vibrant communities.

At the July 6 opening ceremony, CEO of the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority, Lorine Charles-St. Jules said: “The Saint Lucia Showcase is a very important time for us. It is a time to recognize the importance of your partnership, it is also a time to recognize the importance of our local partners and to get feedback on how best we should move forward with our destination on behalf of your clients. We have enjoyed some unique updates on Saint Lucia and thanks to you we enjoyed a great comeback in 2022.

“We are almost back at record levels where we were at a bench mark in 2019, so, we thank you immensely for what you have done for us to achieve those goals. We continue to strive to make our island the best it can, not just for your clients but for any future clients who wish to visit our destination.”

Meanwhile, Minister for Tourism Hon. Dr. Ernest Hilaire expressed gratitude to the buyers and sellers of Saint Lucia’s Tourism products and services and highlighted growth figures to date, in the tourism sector.

“The North American Market is up 30 percent for 2022 and just about 1 percent over 2019 year to date from January to May. So, January to May we are 30 percent up from where we were last year for the North American Market and slightly over 1 percent of 2019 which was our very best year, so it tells you how well we are doing.

“The US market is doing the best with 20 percent above where we were in 2022 year to date, and we are actually 18 percent over 2019. So, 2019 was our best year and we are 18 percent above 2019 year to date for the US market.

“Canada which was probably the slowest market for us to get started has actually really taken off now, of course with some of the additional flights that we are getting. Compared to 2022 January to May we see a 134 percent increase and for 2023 against 2019 we are still slightly below but the trajectory is really on the rise and we expect by the end of 2023 that we would be showing significant improvement in the Canadian market.

“But more importantly, the North American market year to date has accounted for two thirds of all overseas arrivals in Saint Lucia 66 percent, so that tells you how significant this market is to us.”

Throughout the event, participants were treated to an extraordinary program designed to showcase the best that Saint Lucia has to offer, from exhilarating adventure activities and relaxing wellness retreats, to mouthwatering culinary experiences and immersive cultural encounters. Attendees also got the chance to explore and experience authentic Saint Lucia.

The North American – Saint Lucia Showcase was held from July 6 - 10.