Saint Lucia saw an increase of visitor arrivals this past weekend with the addition of four international flights from the United States and Canada.

The island welcomed back the Canadian market with direct nonstop service from Toronto on Air Canada flight (1878). The highly anticipated Air Canada flight landed at 2:30 p.m., operating at 99 percent capacity. This was the first flight back to the island from Canada since closing its borders to international travel on March 23, 2020 due to COVID-19.

From the USA, the destination welcomed an additional three flights with a second American Airlines flight (2296) from Miami, the return of United Airlines (449) from Newark, and JetBlue (363) from Boston.

As part of the islands responsible reopening plan, all 725 travelers into Hewanorra International Airport (UVF) were met with a full complement of Protocols in place, including a fully staffed nurses' station, added sanitizing stations and thermal scanners and well as physical distancing markers.

To ensure a seamless arrival experience, various teams on the ground directed passengers through an enhanced screening process before advancing through Customs and Immigration. After successfully picking up their luggage, arriving passengers proceeded to the exterior of the terminal, where COVID-19 certified taxis provided transportation to certified hotels.

One lucky Canadian couple accompanied by their children was gifted on arrival with a 5 Night stay for two including breakfast, compliments Stonefield Villa Resort.

“We are pleased to welcome Air Canada back to familiar shores and this would signify the opening up of the gateway to other carriers. We are also elated to again welcome United Airlines and the additional services from Jet Blue and American Airlines,” said Tourism Minister, Dominic Fedee. “While we navigate this pandemic, we know that at this juncture tourism is really what the world is looking to as an economic driver and for us here in Saint Lucia, we continue to manage visitor arrivals in a very responsible manner.”

A key part of Saint Lucia’s responsible reopening is the COVID-19 compliance certification process for the accommodations sector.  To date, over thirty hotels have received COVID-19 Certification, which include: Bay Gardens Beach Resort & Spa, Sandals Grande St. Lucian, Stonefield Resort Villa Resort, Sugar Beach - A Viceroy Resort, Anse Chastanet, Bodyholiday Saint Lucia, Calabash Cove Resort & Spa, Cap Maison, Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa, Fond Doux Plantation & Resort, Harbor Club, Curio Collection by Hilton, Royalton Saint Lucia, Jade Mountain, Ladera Resort, Marigot Bay Resort Spa & Marina, Rabot Hotel from Hotel Chocolat, Sandals Regency La Toc, Serenity at Coconut Bay and Tet Rouge Resort among others. Visitors can select COVID-19 certified hotels through direct booking, tour operator or airline provider.

A COVID-19 Command Center continuously monitors local and global health updates, assessing protocol options to mitigate the possible spread of COVID-19 for visitors and Saint Lucian communities.

For more information about Saint Lucia’s COVID-19 response, all protocols and details of requirements prior to entry, please visit www.stlucia.org/covid-19.