PHOTOGRAPHER Kirk Elliott has won his second Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence in as many years.
Elliott conducts the popular St Lucia Photo Tour and judging from the reviews visitors are leaving on Trip Advisor, the tour appears to have struck a chord with photo enthusiasts as well as vacationers just wishing to experience an authentic Saint Lucian cultural immersion.
“Clients are contacting me as early as a year ahead of their vacation and over this period I help them gain a unique insight into Destination Saint Lucia” Elliott explained. “Then their cultural immersion is deepened when they finally experience the Photo Tour” he continued.
The St Lucia Photo Tour is about so much more than just photography as Elliott deconstructs the artistry behind a great photograph, from the technical as well as the emotional standpoint. He then invites his guests to interact with fishermen bringing in their catch, locals in the heat of a domino game or any other of the many day to day activities that occur in Saint Lucia. Elliott facilitates an interaction between visitors and locals that helps each get a better understanding and appreciation of the other and both locals and visitors express delight at the experience.
Elliott says he has found that visitors are researching their destinations long before they travel and he is constantly amazed at how much they know about Saint Lucia before they arrive. For this reason he believes that Saint Lucia is best served by a fresh new set of excursions centredaround local experiences that are not just eco-friendly, but also clearly demonstrate sustainable tourism development as well as capacity building among locals.
“Visitors consistently comment that they intentionally seek out independently promoted excursions as they find that these deliver their most authentic vacation experience and value for money wherever in the world they travel” Elliott explained.
Based on the regularity of such comments from visitors Elliott would like to see greater emphasis placed on helping more locals create excursions that can only be found in Saint Lucia as the impact of this will be multiple fold.