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Saint Lucia Records Highest Stayover Figures Ever

Tourism Minister Ernest Hilaire
Tourism Minister Ernest Hilaire

Tourism officials say they are thrilled about the remarkable visitor arrival numbers for October at the destination.

Tourism Minister Dr. Ernest Hilaire asserts that these figures are set to rise even further in the coming months as the cruise season kicks off.

He announced that stayover arrivals for October have reached a record high, exceeding last October’s figures by 15% and surpassing the previous best year, October 2019, by 13%.

“This is the highest recorded figure for October, ever. This impressive growth has been primarily driven by visitors from the US and the Caribbean,” Dr. Hilaire declared to reporters at a pre-cabinet meeting on Monday.

The minister revealed that arrivals from the United States (US) soared 25% compared to last October and surged 30% higher than October 2023 for the wider region.

Dr. Hilaire highlighted several significant events that took place in Saint Lucia in October, including Jounen Kweyol, regional football, and the Bill Fish tournament, all of which contributed to this spike in visitors. He further disclosed a substantial 21% increase in seating capacity to the destination for October.

Notably, US figures showed an astonishing 44% increase, largely due to American Airlines’ expanded services from Miami and Charlotte, as well as Jet Blue’s presence from JFK International Airport.

In the region, Inter Caribbean Airways has ramped up flights, while the United Kingdom saw a 6% increase in seating accommodation with the introduction of Virgin Atlantic’s service.

On a year-to-date basis, stayover arrivals have surged 16% compared to last year, and there’s a 4% increase over 2019, the year deemed to be the island’s most productive tourism season pre-COVID-19.

“We are firmly on track for 2024 to be the best year ever for stayover arrivals, and it will undoubtedly be the best year for cruise passengers,” Minister Hilaire asserted. “We expect at least 825,000 cruise passenger arrivals in 2024, and we are definitely on track to achieve this goal.”

Addressing concerns raised by someone posting as a taxi driver spokesperson, the minister clarified that members affiliated with national taxi associations have distanced themselves from this individual. Consequently, the ministry will engage with each taxi association on the island in the coming weeks.

“Next week, we will meet with them to address any issues they are facing and explore how we can collaboratively resolve those issues,” he stated. “We also want to provide an update on the implementation of the TX – Taxi Plates.”

Minister Hilaire acknowledged the queries regarding this matter and emphasized, “We will update them on our current progress and discuss the way forward. We are under substantial pressure from individuals seeking TX plates.”

He explained that the authorities are actively processing the conversion of H (number plates) to TX. “We will conduct a thorough study to inform our next steps. The taxi sector will be consulted over the coming weeks to ensure we are aligned and ready to move forward effectively.”

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