Saint Lucia aims to welcome nearly 700,000 cruise visitors this year

Saint Lucia welcomed a record number of guests and cruise ship calls last year, according to the figures revealed by the Tourism Authority. A total of 614,980 cruise visitors were welcomed in 2023, with the country aiming to welcome an additional 10 percent in 2024.

This significant development was announced by the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority as they participated in the prestigious Seatrade Cruise Global at the Miami Beach Convention Center from April 8 to 11. At the event, the delegation showcased the island’s unparalleled beauty and unique offerings to a diverse array of visitors.

According to the information, the team comprised the Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, Senator the Honourable Guibion Ferdinand, Deputy Chair of the SLTA, Grace Parkinson and Head of Marketing, Dexter Percil along with local cruise agencies and staff, Saint Lucia engaged in meaningful meetings with media representatives, trade partners, and key cruise line executives.

The delegation also talked about the strategic marketing cruise plan of the island nation and highlighted the island as the Leading Caribbean Adventure Tourism and Nature Destination while showcasing its rich culture and diverse attractions. The team aimed to position Saint Lucia as a must visit destination for cruise travellers.

While aiming to welcome an additional 10 percent visitors, the island is reaffirming its position as a premier cruise destination while fostering collaborations and driving growth in the cruise tourism sector.

It is to be noted that the island anticipated to welcome a total of 400 cruises for the 2023-24 cruise season including 19 inaugural calls with nearly 700,000 visitors.

During the beginning of the cruise season, Tourism Minister Dr Ernest Hilaire noted that the first cruise ship, Carnival Venezia, brought over 4000 passengers, which was around 80 percent of its total occupancy and added, “Which is actually higher than what we were projecting based on our projections on the number of calls for the year, we were expecting, you know, about 650,000 or so.” [caption id="attachment_60820" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Carnival Venezia at Port Castries (PC - Facebook account of Malinko Tafari)[/caption]

“It looks like if that level of occupancy remains, we will have closer to 700,000 arrivals for the year,” he further noted.

He also added that the arrival of this huge number of visitors will give a huge business to taxi drivers, vendors, restaurants and others, marking a huge push to the local economy.