Saint Lucia continues its trajectory as one of the leading destinations in the Caribbean, as the government presses ahead to facilitate an enabling environment for growth within the tourism sector.

The extension of Berth One at the Pointe Seraphine complex last year, enabled mega vessels, such as Anthem of the Seas to dock in the Castries Harbour. The Prime Minister of Saint Lucia, Hon. Allen Chastanet, during his new year address, stated that adjustments must be made in order to accommodate even bigger ships.

“It was this same sort of vision by the former UWP administration that resulted in the Pointe Seraphine complex being built in the 1980s,” the prime minister said. “This is now proving inadequate and we have to reinvest in Pointe Seraphine and expand our investment to also improve the products, services, and recreation opportunities in the Castries Market area.”

Prime Minister Chastanet said that a hotel plant in the north is on the verge of expansion, as accommodation is a base of the tourism industry and a vital part of tourism supply; while the Rex Properties at Rodney Bay is under development with the Rex Saint Lucian to undergo reconstruction. He added that Sandals at Choc Bay is being upgraded, and the construction of a Hyatt Hotel in Saint Lucia is in progress.

“Invest Saint Lucia has completed transactions with a Barbados-based firm to buy land at Choc for an all-inclusive 800-room Hyatt Hotel. Hyatt is a major international brand and we are now fortunate to have it showing an interest in this country once again,” he said. “Construction is due to begin in the second half of 2019.”

In the address, the prime minister also spoke of plans to improve the safety and capacity of roads.

“A recent audit determined at present approximately 52 percent of our road network is classified as good or fair, with the remaining 48 percent being classified as poor or very poor. Hence, we have already begun the road improvement and maintenance program to address the quality of the road network in Saint Lucia through the strategic maintenance of primary roads and 55 kilometers of secondary roads.”

The Government of Saint Lucia’s investment in road rehabilitation is $500 million.