With more than 650,000 cruise passengers anticipated to visit the destination, this season, and as traffic increases in this hospitality hub – plans are in the making for a thorough upgrade of the waterfront to enhance the beauty of the City of Castries and its environs, within the next two years.
According to Tourism Minister Dr. Ernest Hilaire, this is part of the Global Ports Holding [GPH]agreement, that include improvements to the waterfront area.
He explained that the developmental works will stretch from the Old Customs Building to the Sans Soucis Bridge.
Dr. Hilaire said, the old Customs Building will be broken down and in the interim and “that area rationalised for parking and traffic management”, to allow for the beautification works to progress.
“The Vendors Arcade will be redone, two -finger piers will be built in that corner by the Arcade for movement of the visitors,” as part of the overall upliftment of the city’s aesthetics the minister told reporters at a recent media briefing.
He said the Bananes Bay area will be redeveloped and that location will be transformed into a zone for vending and restaurants …
In addition, he added, a Boardwalk will be built along the harbor front and so “visitors can get to the Sans Soucis Bridge and to the Cruise Ships” and along that route vendors will be allowed to cater for the visitors.
It is anticipated that when completed, the boardwalk will extend from the Port Castries into the city, and will create a hub of economic activity for cruise vendors.
“So, you will see in the next two years or so, a redevelopment of Castries to make it a better experience for our visitors,” declared Hilaire.
He stated that, with more than 650,000 cruise ship passengers expected to visit the destination “it will be very busy for this year…this season, and that will be very massive”.
Last year, the Saint Lucia Air and Sea Ports Authority [SLASPA] collaborated in a strategic move with GPH to propel Saint Lucia’s cruise tourism sector to new heights.
( GPH ) – the world’s leading cruise port operator, signed a concession agreement with the government to usher in a transformative era for the island’s cruise tourism product, enhancing both infrastructure and visitor experience.
Government sources asserted that the partnership envisions a holistic approach to enhancing the cruise tourism experience. GPH, in synergy with SLASPA and the Government of Saint Lucia is committed to working collaboratively to elevate the physical infrastructure as well as the overall destination experience for cruise passengers.
Meanwhile, GPH has announced the appointment of two Saint Lucian business executives to its fold. Following the recent signing of a 30-year concession agreement with the Government of Saint Lucia to operate and manage Saint Lucia Cruise Port, GPH has hired the two technocrats to play pivotal roles in its local and Eastern Caribbean operations.
Lancelot Arnold has been appointed Director of the GPH Eastern Caribbean team and will also serve as the Director of Saint Lucia Cruise Port. With an illustrious career spanning over two decades, he brings a wealth of experience in seaport management, maritime operations, mega structure creation, project development, and financial management to his new role.
He has held senior leadership positions at Invest Saint Lucia, JQ Charles Group of Companies, and the Saint Lucia Air and Sea Ports Authority (SLASPA). On December 1st Arnold will join the new port management company from the National Insurance Property Development and Management Company (NIPRO) where he has worked as Chief Executive Officer since 2019.
Arnold will oversee the St. Lucia Cruise Port Investment Plan during the anticipated two-year construction period, lead the Saint Lucia Cruise Port team, and drive profitability. He will also spearhead operations of GPH-managed ports across the Eastern Caribbean.
In October, Gasper George joined the GPH team as the Director of operations and product development for GPH Eastern Caribbean and for Saint Lucia Cruise Port. In his most recent previous position, he served as senior manager of business development and corporate communications at the Saint Lucia Air and Sea Ports Authority (SLASPA).
Recognised as a dynamic and multi-faceted professional, he will play an instrumental role in enhancing the regional cruise tourism experience and supporting the company’s commitment to responsible and sustainable tourism.