Saint Lucia celebrates 46th independence with cocktail reception in Toronto

The newly appointed CEO of the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority hopes more Canadians will set their sights on the Caribbean nation as an alternative to crossing the border this year.

“We’ve got Mr. T down south who has made the cost of living in Canada a little more difficult. Some people have decided they’re not going to visit the U.S. this year and they may be looking for options and we are presenting Saint Lucia as a destination to consider,” Louis Lewis told PressToday. “It is warmer, I can assure you, we can maintain the temperature for you.”

In town to celebrate Saint Lucia’s 46 independence and announce details about the 2025 Saint Lucia Jazz & Arts Festival, Lewis said that his goals for the new appointment include working with state agencies to showcase St. Lucia’s unique culture, history and culinary offerings to attract more visitors.

“I have an objective of promoting solutions so that Saint Lucian’s can benefit more out of the industry,” he shared. “We are showcasing our culture, history and heritage in a way that we have not done in the past to provide interesting and exciting options that visitors can participate in.”

Notably, some 2,000 new rooms are coming online in the next 24 months, including projects by Secrets, Marriott and Hyatt.

“There’s also a Life Co project, which is a brand that focuses on health and wellness,” he said. “We are happy to have projects and properties that cater to a variety of budgets for people who desire a warm weather vacation.”

While he’s confident the hotel growth is well within Saint Lucia’s carrying capacity and won’t impact the charm of the destination, he said they are developing new experiences for travellers to participate in off the resort. Experiences include visiting a sea moss farm where travellers can see the sea moss being harvested.

“They bring you onshore and you can participate in cooking and making of skin treatments, hair treatments and some beverages as well,” he said. “It is so beneficial as a product for health and wellness.”

While Canadian arrivals are not quite back to pre-pandemic levels, he said they are working to make the destination top of mind, and that sufficient airlift is available.

“Take a second look at Saint Lucia. We’ve got great quality product in all the traditional areas, beaches, waterfalls, we have a very interesting range of accommodations that covers all segments, and Saint Lucia is really accessible from the Canadian market,” he said.

Citing the flight cancellations and delays earlier this week as an example, Lewis shared the value of working with a travel advisor.

“Travelling has become simplified, but it also has complexities, and you want that assurance if something goes wrong – as we saw this week – you need to have someone who can work to get you back to your destination. Travel agents have remained and are becoming more important in this industry.”