Castries, St Lucia: St Lucia has recently concluded National Maritime Tourism Strategy that will strengthen and prioritize various Tourism portfolios.
The tourism authority of St Lucia clearly outlined the tactical approach to leveraging maritime-related tourism business and positioning its maritime tourism product. While keeping with the vision of the Government of Saint Lucia, the Blue Economy is a central feature of this strategy.
Various organizations, such as Canada-CARICOM Expert Deployment Program (CCEDM), through the Canadian Executive Services Organization (CESO) represented by Felix Finisterre Regional Representative (OECS), will further realize the strategy through technical assistance.
Peter Kibuik- who is a led by CESO consultant, showed the strategy represented a targeted and results-oriented approach to advance maritime tourism for St Lucia.
The main focus is also placed on identifying new and developing existing opportunities for Cruise, Yachting and Ferry sectors. The upliftment of the strategy followed a consultative process also included extensive dialogue with several key maritime tourism stakeholders involving various ministries such as the Ministry of Tourism, the Saint Lucia Air and Sea Port Authority (SLASPA), related tourism associations and quasi-government, and private sector entities.
As per the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the St Lucia Tourism Authority, Thaddeus M. Antoine, “This project was timely and is a strong indication of the commitment of the Ministry of Tourism and the Government of Saint Lucia, towards adopting a focused approach in helping Saint Lucia capitalize on competitive advantages and further develop related sectors”.
Chair of the Maritime Tourism Committee and Chief Operating Officer of the Saint Lucia Air and Sea Ports Authority, Grace Parkinson, expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the project and stated, “The committee did an excellent job in engaging the Consultant on various fact-finding assignments to assess the current maritime environment, while also contributing to a strategy that is not only achievable but sustainable”.
The St Lucia Tourism Authority also extended gratitude to all industry stakeholders and partners who contributed to the development of the Maritime Tourism Strategy and looks forward to continuous engagements throughout the critical implementation phase of the strategy.
