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I was recently reinstated within the Tourism industry as a Tour Guide, which I did many years ago. But now, as I communicate with cruise ship visitors and answer their many questions, I can see the need for diversifying the tourism products we offer to our visiting guests.
A frequent question is “Where can we eat a local meal in the city?” To tell the truth, most of our city outlets only sell fast foods, especially chicken, so, from a culinary point of view, more should be done to establish more up-market eating establishments within the City.
The craft markets and most vendors sell the same products, at a sometimes ridiculous price and have a limited amount of locally-made craft or clothing, so, here again, some untapped areas of creativity can be developed as unique areas of produce. After all, everybody sells banana ketchup, but most don’t use it themselves.
In addition, no form of the Performing Arts (as in music, dance, theatre or even recorded material) is readily available.
I would have thought by now the Tourism industry would have seen the need for a national art gallery, even a museum or an outlet where artisans can be viewed creating live pieces, be it wood or clay sculpture, fabric works, wire sculpture, or any other art form that can be bought, appreciated, or seen as a national treasure.
It is not my role to advise or recommend (even though I know I can), but based on the inquiries I get, some guests would want more than solid objects or to go to the beach. What we most often offer to our guests, what we peddle and sell, are also available in all other Caribbean islands and what’s sold here is usually imported, even though the label says ‘Made in Saint Lucia’.
People have different likes and needs, so some visitors care for pleasure and leisure, some want entertainment, some want to sample our traditional foods — our fish, breadfruit and saltfish — with green figs and avocado, to drink local juices and sample our sea moss, or coconut water, even our rum and beer.
There are plenty of Lucian ideas that can be brought to the table, but more and better facilities, creative structures and financing also have to be part of the package.
I talk frequently to visitors about our fishing villages, but even at some of the said villages, nothing fishy is available — not even a ‘twee-twee’ acra.
There are other eating items such as fruits of all types or ice cream or other tasty items that can be presented, including bread cakes, pastry, blended drinks and indigenous products such as honey, coconut or caster oils, soaps or scented candles, spices and so on, all of which can all be added.
When last you saw or ate sea eggs or land crabs, lambi or bwigo, crayfish or cassava – which seems only available on the west coast — and the sea moss we boast about is not available in most shopping outlets. So, I urge the powers-that-be to have a more holistic approach to tourism, because most people in the industry only follow each other with little creativity that’s different.
When we talk about employment, these are the areas that can be introduced — even the braiding of hair and other hairstyles.
We must begin to think outside the box and dare to be different, or the rat race survival will continue and only the fittest will survive.
We need a new education, a new kind of presentation, a place where our people can excel because they offer diversity. We must produce more and stop selling items made elsewhere, as even the banana or corn bark can be utilized.
And cannabis is not yet added to the mix, even though we talk about all the products that can be derived from it.
Consider this food for thought and stop outsiders from being the only producers of cocoa products, as we are still selling the beans and buying the chocolate or cocoa products.
As others capitalize on our rich heritage, we seem permanently enslaved and hooked on our past, still throwing the baby out with the bath water.