Minister Ernest Hilaire anticipates largest ever Saint Lucia Carnival this year

Saint Lucia: Minister of Tourism, Dr Ernest Hilaire, anticipated that the 2024 carnival is going to be one of the largest ever, with additional activities and increased prize money for national competitions. While speaking at this year’s Carnival media launch, Minister Hilaire outlined that Carnival in Saint Lucia is more than just a mass, more than just what happens on the road for a couple of days as it is part of the island’s culture and defines ‘who we are as a people’.

The festival which will take place from July 1 to 17 is a huge celebration on the island and is held every year to celebrate the culture, traditions and everything local in Saint Lucia.

During the launch, Minister Hilaire explained the significance of this highly anticipated Carnival and outlined, “Carnival is a powerful economic agent, drawing over 18,000 visitors to the island in the first two weeks of July in 2023, making July the month with the most stay over visitors for the year July, not January, not February, not March.”

He said that the data shows the importance that Carnival holds for the economic growth and the economic development and added that it brings in substantial income to this country.

According to Dr Ernest Hilaire, various sectors on the island benefit from the hosting of the Carnival such as the cosmetologist, stylists, fashion designers, persons who rents an Airbnb, restaurant owners as well as the car rental companies.

He said that the intention is to make Carnival 2024 even bigger than 2019, but there needs to be collaboration on a national level, hence the decision to incorporate the interests of several factions of society, including the Christian Council.

“And I give them the assurance that we will support them with their own campaign on how to enjoy Carnival with a moral responsibility as well,” added the Minister.

He said with all the sponsors; the Tourism Ministry will be undertaking a responsible campaign and extend it also to the churches to be part of the Carnival, to endorse it, to support it and to see it to revellers that you too can enjoy it in an very responsible way.

Jazz in the city will now be a five-day activity, which, according to the Minister, is an opportunity for Castries to explode as a centre of creativity.