The Ministry of Tourism, Information and Broadcasting, Culture and Creative Industries has recently engaged the services of Keios Development Consulting to undertake a thorough revision of the Tourism Strategy, which was developed for Saint Lucia in 2013.

On March 11, the consultants held their inception meeting with the Ministry and began consultations with key agencies involved in the Tourism sector.

So far, the team has met with several stakeholders, representing a wide-cross section of the Tourism industry including the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority, (SLTA) the Saint Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association (SLHTA), the Saint Lucia Air and Sea Port Authority (SLASPA), the Soufriere Regional Development Foundation, hoteliers, sites and attractions operators, Destination Management Companies, Government Ministries and Departments. The consultant firm also met the Tourism Advisory Committee (a newly established Council) which is headed by the Honourable Dominic Fedee, Minister for Tourism, Information and Broadcasting, Culture and Creative Industries.

Minister Fedee welcomed the team during a meeting of the Council on March 14th in Castries, noting that their consultancy is happening at a time when the government is exploring ways to fast track progress in the industry, in particular, “there are current efforts to enhance the gateway for passengers arriving from Martinique, regulate tourism revenue, stimulate village tourism and promote tourism concessions.” All of this in order to improve and enhance the industry with the ultimate aim of bringing more revenue into the local economy. “Hence the reason we have dubbed 2019, the Year of Revenue” the Minister added.

Over the next week, the team will continue to engage in consultations with a number of other key agencies, and will also visit a number of tourism hotspots in order to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the current priorities, and the likely direction for the island, based on emerging trends, and considering in particular, local conditions, capacities and aspirations.

Following the first round of consultations, the consultants will draft the revised Tourism Strategy and Action Plan to reflect a clear, coordinated, practical and sustainable Plan for the Tourism sector in Saint Lucia for the next decade. Once the draft plan has been completed, the consultants will present the 10-year Plan in a Validation Workshop to be targeted at many of the same industry stakeholders with whom they consulted.

The team on the ground, comprises a cohort of highly experienced tourism experts who have not only worked in the Caribbean, but bring a wealth of knowledge and practice from across the Globe. This assignment is a key activity under the OECS Regional Tourism Competitiveness Project (ORTCP), which Is funded by the World Bank.