CASTRIES, St Lucia (CMC) — St Lucia Tuesday said that its tourism sector is “flourishing” and the island is looking to open a number of hotels with several international brand names committed to the island.

Tourism Minister Dr Ernest Hilaire, speaking on the first day of a two-day Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO)-organised “Virtual destination media briefing” told regional and international media representatives that the sector directly accounts for more than 22 per cent of the island’s gross domestic product (GDP) adding “it is extremely important to the St Lucian economy”.

“Only a few months ago the world wondered how the tourism industry would survive the coronavirus pandemic. Today I assure you that St Lucia’s tourism industry is flourishing: We continued to respond to the uncertainty of the marketplace with clear and constant communications to our stakeholders, the travel trade, and our visitors.”

Hilaire told reporters that, as a premier destination, St Lucia has some of the most diverse experiences in the Caribbean and “when paired with confidence in our safety protocols, these factors helped to continue drive business when restrictions in international markets were eased, and especially when the colder weather arrived in those regions”.

He said in 2021, St Lucia welcomed 52 per cent more visitors than in 2020, with the United States contributing 76 per cent of visitors.

He said visitor arrivals from the US from July through December were higher than the recorded benchmark figures of 2019 and that St Lucia recorded 199,347 stay-over arrivals in 2021.

Hilaire said last month, St Lucia recorded the largest number of arrivals for the year (29,737), as the island continued to welcome returning flights from all of its key markets

“This has served as a great economic impact for us in St Lucia, given that when there are more visitors, visitor spend picks up, and that helps our communities to benefit from the financial recovery from the pandemic.”

Hilaire told the event that navigating through 2020 better prepared the island for 2021 and that the authorities remain committed to coexist with COVID “and we knew we had to be nimble and respond to evolving developments”.

He said changes in international protocols, the introduction of vaccines, and fluctuations in the US, Canada and the UK “had us adjusting our safety protocols, marketing and development decisions.

“We were strongly equipped in our response measures, driven by our Ministry of Health and the intelligence gathered by the local and international health professionals. We also introduced eased but safe protocols for vaccinated travellers which allowed visitors to enjoy more of St Lucia from the moment of arrival.”

Hilaire said that as of January 2022, more than 90 per cent of arriving visitors are vaccinated and that more than 90 per cent of hotel and villa staff across the island are vaccinated, with some hotels reporting 100 per cent vaccination rates for staff.

“We continue to enhance our social media presence as a critical component of our consumer,” the tourism minister said, adding that last year the island recorded 20,000 new air seats from the major markets with the momentum continuing in January, with numbers for 2022 taking 34 per cent share of markets.

He said that the cruise sector resumed in June 2021 and the numbers keep growing month over month with total arrivals numbering 93,610.

Hilaire said that with the growing demand for St Lucia, increasing the accommodation and attractions sectors is an integral part of the island’s development.

“Local entrepreneurs and international developments are fuelling growth in our product. Looking to the future, several international brands have committed to St Lucia,” he said, adding that there are other branded hotels awaiting planning approval to be announced very soon.

“The pandemic has allowed us to rethink and reengineer our industry, and we are responding to consumer interest in a wider spectrum of accommodation types to suit today’s travellers. A new umbrella tourism programme will give small-sized accommodations like boutique properties, villas, inns and BnBs greater international exposure and opportunities,” Hilaire said.

“We are excited about the upcoming launch of the community tourism project, a reinvigorating programme that highlights authentic experiences. The project will seek to increase the players in the tourism industry and add more industry owners.”

He said sports tourism is returning and in June St Lucia will welcome back the International Masters Football Invitational Tournament with over 20 teams from Canada, US and the Caribbean

“And in case you haven’t heard, we recently announced major event news After a two-year hiatus, Saint Lucia Carnival will return with a safe and responsible approach in July 2022. This year’s festivities will be dubbed ‘The Vaxed Mas,’ Hilaire said.