The St. Lucia Tourism sector is expected to be bolstered with an increase in the number of vacation rooms available on the island. The island has, for some time now, been clamoring for the additional rooms which local tourism stakeholders agree has become even more necessary during peak tourism months.
The situation became a bit more dire since the closure of three resorts on Reduit Beach, a loss of some 500 rooms in the island’s north, the heart of the local tourism industry.
A resolution is on the horizon, says Tourism Minister Dr. Ernest Hilaire. Dr. Hilaire, who is also the island’s Deputy Prime Minister, spoke on the issue at the government press briefing Monday. “When the hotels on the Reduit Beach are rebuilt, and we are expecting to start in the middle of this year, you are talking about 1400 rooms when the entire three hotels are built. Mount Pimard is another 1100 rooms, that’s 2500 rooms. And then when you add, in the south, Galaxy {The Dreams Hotel} opens towards the end of the year, you are talking about another 300 rooms.”
The tourism minister was not lost on the fact that the new additions presented a new issue to deal with, one he says will require increased effort, but one that is a good problem to have. “We have to start thinking from now how St. Lucia will be able to bring in enough people to fill those rooms. Right now, we have a problem where we don’t have enough rooms but in three years, we will have quite a lot of rooms and we need to have the seats, and we need to have the marketing program.”
Another 400-apartment complex is also expected to be announced in the near future.
Dr. Hilaire stressed that while these were exciting times, a massive increase in marketing strategy and marketing dollars will have to come into play to meet the demands of the impending increased room stock. While he understands that non-traditional markets take time to bear fruit, he insisted that a revamping of the current marketing approach may be inevitable.
The local tourism industry, according to the minister, has made an impressive start to the season and shows no sign of slowing down. Dr. Hilaire also revealed that all indicators suggest that the soon to be launched St. Lucia Jazz Festival and the upcoming St. Lucia Carnival are expected to exceed last year figures.