Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority (SLTA), Mrs. Tiffany Howard, is part of a delegation led by Prime Minister Honourable Allen Chastanet, representing Saint Lucia at the 25th Annual Florida Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) Cruise Conference and Trade Show in Puerto Rico this week.

The four-day event from Nov. 5 - 9, at the Sheraton PR Hotel and Casino in San Juan is an opportunity for Saint Lucia to grow its cruise tourism business which is up by an impressive 13.2 percent so far this year.

In January 2018, Saint Lucia expanded the capacity of Port Castries to accommodate Freedom and Quantum Class vessels, which has contributed significantly to the increase in the number of cruise visitor arrivals.

The FCCA Cruise Conference and Trade Show blends meetings and workshops with social functions that allow attendees to develop relationships, promote their products, and learn from FCCA executives. The executives represent the FCCA’s 18 member lines who decide where ships call, what is sold and used onboard, and how to invest in destinations and infrastructure.

Prime Minister Chastanet and Mrs. Howard are joined by Tourism Minister, Honourable Dominic Fedee, and SLTA Chairman, Mr. Nicholas John; Senior Managers from the Saint Lucia Air and Sea Ports Authority (SLASPA); the Citizenship by Investment Programme (CIP); Barefoot Holidays; and Foster and Ince Cruise Services Inc.

The Saint Lucia delegation is expected to meet with cruise industry officials, including Ports and Destinations; Cruise and Tourism Agencies; Tour Operators; Attractions; Suppliers; and Ship Agents while in Puerto Rico.

Saint Lucia continues to consolidate its position as one of the leading cruise destinations in the Caribbean. In addition to the expansion of Berth No.1 at Pointe Seraphine to accommodate Quantum and Freedom Class vessels, the Government of Saint Lucia is advancing plans to build a cruise ship port in Vieux Fort, the southernmost part of the island.

Saint Lucia’s focus at the 2018 FCCA Cruise Conference and Tradeshow is to ensure that the destination becomes a port of call for additional cruise lines, while networking inclusively to improve the cruise tourism product.