The 2022/2023 cruise season will commence with the arrival of Celebrity Millennium on Wednesday 12th October 2022.
So said the Ministry of Tourism yesterday, stating that since the sector’s re-opening in 2021 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the island recorded a total of 317 cruise calls and welcomed 240,567 cruise passengers onto the shores of Saint Lucia during the period June 2021 to September 2022.
“As the sector remains a high priority in driving demand for Saint Lucia as a tourism Destination, the Ministry of Tourism anticipates a robust season where various sub-sectors including sites & attractions, local waterbased sector, food & beverage, tourism transportation and recreation will have yet another opportunity to reap the economic benefits from the cruise sector,” stated a press release from the ministry.
The Ministry of Tourism acknowledged the importance of the cruise sector to many operators including tourism transportation, vendors, small business owners in communities, sites and attractions, restaurants, as well as other industry stakeholders, stating that Thursday’s stakeholders meeting on the commencement of the 2022/2023 cruise season will serve to put measures in place to improve the product and prepare stakeholders to benefit more from the season.
The meeting will comprise a wide cross section of Government and non-Government agencies, responsible for setting policy, marketing and management of Saint Lucia’s cruise sub-sector. The Ministry will also discuss the newly updated travel protocols and cruise port logistics at that meeting.