St. Lucia is expecting a monster month of March when it comes to cruise traffic as the island is expecting over 140,000 passengers on 12 calls. There was also a maiden visit by the small 62-guest Crystal Esprit yacht earlier in the month. 

“We are doing everything possible to ensure that Saint Lucians benefit more from these impressive numbers. A revenue committee has been established at the Tourism Council to yield greater economic penetration for our people.” said Tourism Minister, Dominic Fedee. “Therefore, the tremendous growth we are experiencing is a great beginning and we are committed to making this count by training our vendors and other stakeholders to focus on revenue.”

With Saint Lucia’s capacity to welcome big ships, cruise guest numbers increased by 13.6 percent in 2018. 

In the near future cruise travelers will have much more to see and do, as Saint Lucia is moving towards community-based tourism strategies, according to a statement.

The Department of Tourism has earmarked eight communities nationally for the development of the Village Tourism program with the aim of promoting linkages between onshore businesses and other sectors of the economy. 

The idea is to convert each of the communities into a tourism destination, highlighting its unique culture, cuisine, heritage and history, thereby creating an experience for visitors unlike any other destination.