In the midst of the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority [SLTA] is planning to roll out a series of promotional and marketing strategies geared to gettingĀ the hospitality sector back on the rebound.
At a press conference this week, an overview of last yearās arrival performance was highlighted along with other key areas pertinent to the industryās overall developmental thrust.
Tourism Minister Dominic Fedee told reporters that the SLTA is on a drive to implement effective financial strategies, stimulate sustainable promotional campaigns and prepare for the longevity of the industry.
āThis will definitely have a positive effect on our destinationās ability to be able to market itself,ā asserted Fedee
He noted that in this new global transition, tourism authorities are becoming less reliant on government subsidies and have begun to source out their own marketing funds.
Fedee added: āThis essentially is a marketing fund that will go into marketing the destination, so that it could give us a competitive edge so that St. Lucia can become that destination of choice.ā
He spoke on the continued execution of the āVillage Tourismā projects in several districts across the island.
The parliamentary representative for the Anse La Raye / Canaries constituency made particular reference to renovation works taking place in Anse La Raye.
This project , he explained , entails ābuilding a mini-hotel within the villageā as well as work to restore the old fish-fery building, construction of a restaurant on the bay front ,Ā and an overhaul of the village square ā where we will see a total transformation of the waterfront.ā
Fedee said these projects are designed to enhance the beautification of those districts to become āa tourism destination and it gives yachts that are sailing down the west coast, an alternative community to be able to stop in.ā
In addition, he said, this project will create economic opportunities for the villagers and small businesses āto thrive and create jobs in an economically challenged community.ā
Referring to the OECS Tourism Development Project, Fedee noted, there has been a long-standing issue in trying to sustain coastlines where āwe have not historically optimized the ability to be able to manage our beaches properly.ā
The tourism minister said with hundreds of tourists visiting beaches along the west coast, the OECS TDP will be utilized āto open up new locations along the west coast, so Canaries comes into the picture and also Gros Islet and as well weāre looking at added capacity for cruise ship passengers at the Vigie beach.ā
Tourism Headed For An Upswing
Despite the economic downturn and other setbacks brought about by the coronavirus, Fedee feels, the sector is headed for an upswing and the authorities are getting set to cash in.
He asserted : āThe lockdowns , the destruction that has been caused by covid-19 will not be forever and so weāre taking this opportunity to stimulate construction, but as well use it to properly implement and to solve some of the hurdles that weāve had to really better manage and develop our industry and enhance our product; from the standpoint of economic developmentā¦creating more jobs and making the destination more attractive for hundreds and thousands of people who want to come to our shores.ā
He informed reporters that the authorities were currently working alongside several ancillary service providers, which include at least 26 marine companies andĀ more taxi drivers being granted permission to ply their trade at the Hewanorra International Airport (HIA) āso that more people can share in the limited āpiece of pieā that we have presently from the economic contributions of tourism.ā
The minister added that while the authorities are making every effort to work in collaboration with the Ministry of Health in an effort to safeguard against the coronavirus, they are, at the same time trying to strike a balance in managing and optimizing every opportunity that is available within the tourism sector.
Atlantic Rally For Cruisers
Upon review of other tourist related activities, Fedee said, despite the disturbances caused by COVID-19 they were pleased with the turnout and participation at this yearās annual ARC-Atlantic Rally for Cruisers.
He added: āBut all in all we were able to innovate and have some very successful events during the ARC. The reviews we had from World Cruising Club(WCC) were nothing but positive ā¦and from reports that weāre getting for next yearās ARC , suggests there is a waiting list and over 300 boats have registered to come to St Lucia in December, 2021.ā
On the issue of arrivals, Fedee notes, āit is anticipated that there will be cutbacks by some airlines in terms of their capacity that will no doubt affect travelers.ā
He said this is happening because, for instance, in the United Kingdom (UK) they have āexpanded the lockdown across the country.ā And in the United States (US) too the matter is also compounded as āthere is a prevailing increase in the number of COVID-19 cases and the number of hospitalizations, as well as the stress on the healthcare structure within the US is also going to pose significant challenges on the ability of people to be able to travel.ā
Fedee opined that on a more positive note the introduction of vaccines, though with its specific challenges, presents a new approach to combat the coronavirus.
However, the minister declared, āCovid continues to be very fluid, continues to be the virus of great uncertainties, and really we have to do our bestĀ to see step by step how we can come out of this and we have to be courageous and innovative in this present time.ā