Nearly seventy stakeholders from Babonneau met for the recent hosting of the Babonneau Community Tourism Forum, which aimed to highlight the community’s rich attributes and explore ways it can benefit from the tourism sector.
The event was held at the Union Orchid Gardens on Friday, September 4, 2026, under the theme, “Babonneau – The Green Land of Good Water: Celebrating Our Heritage, Preserving Our Environment, Building A Sustainable Tourism Future”, and was organized by the Taiwan Technical Mission (TTM) in Saint Lucia in collaboration with Babonneau Youth Synergy, and The Signature Travel Group Incorporated.
This latest Community Tourism Forum was preceded by similar forums held for Fond St. Jacques and Laborie over the past two years under the Community Business Revitalization Project (CBRP), a bilateral collaboration between the Government of Saint Lucia and Taiwan, and implemented by the Ministry of Commerce and Taiwan Technical Mission (TTM) in Saint Lucia. The Project aims to transform rural economies by empowering local organizations.
Speaking at the event, H.E. Nicole Su, Taiwan’s Ambassador to Saint Lucia, thanked the Ministry of Tourism and Commerce, Babonneau Constituency Council, Babonneau Youth Synergy, Mr. Louis Tsou, CBRP Project Manager at the Taiwan Technical Mission (TTM) in Saint Lucia, and other stakeholders and partners for supporting the Project. She noted that the previous experiences of implementing the Project in other communities proved that there is never a one-size-fits-all answer.
In Fond St. Jacques/Soufriere, the Project achieved the following goals:
· Capitalized on the unique natural resources to organize eco-tourism tours, including nature trails and bird watching, and worked with the local development group to brand the community;
· An interpretation center was established accordingly to provide tourism information; and
· Since the community is most proud of its agriculture produce, especially dasheen, the Project added value to dasheen by promoting it as a tourism product by organizing the annual Dasheen Festival.
In Laborie, the Project achieved the following goals:
· Facilitated the discussion of branding of the community;
· Introduced sustainable business models for the Anse Kawet Crafters, including business registration;
· Refurbished the souvenir gift shop; and
· Worked with the Laborie Development Foundation to restore a small museum, the Iconic Centre, where tourists and visitors from other parts of the country can learn about the stories of the icons of Laborie.
Ambassador Su recalled that since the Project came to Babonneau in July last year, discussions have been held regarding various possibilities of different tourism products that can benefit the community.
She explained that both Taiwan and Saint Lucia share a similar history, including both being island countries that were once under colonial rule. These shared experiences; she added, have shaped both peoples and formed a blend of culture and tradition that are unique to them.
Hon. John Paul Estephane, Minister in the Ministry of Tourism, Commerce, Investment, Creative Industries, Culture and Heritage & Parliamentary Representative for Babonneau, spoke highly of Babonneau’s overall attributes, noting that the community’s richness is worth being experienced by those who appreciate beauty.
He said Babonneau’s description as ‘Green Land of Water’ captures the essence of the community, noting that the green hillsides reflect the richness of the natural environment, and that the rivers, springs and waterways have sustained communities and agriculture for generations.
Hon. Estephane said tourism begins with identity, that people travel not merely to see places, but to also experience different cultures, food, traditions, and a way of life. He said Babonneau has a story worth telling: its farmers, crafts people, musicians, cooks, elders, and young people. Babonneau, he added, has interesting stories that have been passed from one generation to another. As tourism continues to develops, he urged Babonneau residents not to be mere spectators looking at tourism from the outside, but to become owners, participants, and beneficiaries.
Mr. Emmanus Alfred, Business Development Officer in the Community Tourism Agency (CTA), shared insights on how the CTA connects communities through tourism. The CTA, he said, assists citizens, communities and heritage asset owners in various areas that can enhance their competitiveness, profitability and sustainable tourism products and enterprises. Such assistance includes financial support, and branding of communities.
Meanwhile, Ms. Stephia Hippolyte, Co-Founder/Director, Product & Business Development Manager of The Signature Travel Group Incorporated, noted that TaiwanICDF has provided essential support and cohesion that bring the different players under the Project together. However, she advised that it is crucial to understand how the different roles can strengthen each other.
Ms. Hippolyte added that under the Project, TaiwanICDF has provided the vital architecture that supports the Community Tourism Agency, the private sector, and local entrepreneurs to work together harmoniously: “They have given our Community Tourism initiatives the structural tools to move away from fragmentation, toward a unified effort. They remind us that true international cooperation isn’t about building a single successful business; it’s about nurturing an entire community network. They have shown us that nobody can get there unless everybody gets there.”
A panel discussion was also held under the theme, “Building a Sustainable Tourism Future for Babonneau” and moderated by Mr. Peter Louisy. Panelists were Hon. John Paul Estephane, Minister in the Ministry of Tourism, Commerce, Investment, Creative Industries, Culture and Heritage & Parliamentary Representative for Babonneau, H.E. Nicole Su, Taiwan’s Ambassador to Saint Lucia, Mr. Emmanus Alfred, Business Development Officer, Community Tourism Agency (CTA), Mr. Jn Louis Mathurin, Founder/Owner, Father Nature Adventures, Mr. Aldric Edward, a Representative from Babonneau Youth Synergy, Mr. DeCosta Pierre, Farmer/Agro-Entrepreneur, and Mr. Edward Wilson, Production Officer with the Taiwan Technical Mission (TTM) in Saint Lucia. Members of the audience also got the chance to pose questions and gain insights from the panelists during the Question & Answer segment that followed.