THE EVENT AIMED TO EQUIP LOCAL BUSINESSES WITH PRODUCT DESIGN, MARKETING, AND BRANDING SKILLS.

Sixty tourism stakeholders recently participated in a one-day Community Tourism Stakeholders Networking Event aimed at building bridges across sectors, sharing knowledge, and fostering collaboration and innovation within Saint Lucia’s tourism sector.

The event was held on Thursday, June 5, 2025, at Leisure Inn in Soufriere, where the stakeholders were urged to embrace the shared purpose of ensuring that communities grow, flourish, and thrive together. The event formed part of the Community Business Revitalization Project (CBRP), an initiative which was launched in August 2023 by the Ministry of Commerce and the Taiwan Technical Mission, aimed at equipping local micro, small and medium enterprises in four communities with the competitive edge they need to become not only more profitable, but also resilient. These areas include product design, marketing, and branding and promotion.

Speaking at the event, H.E. Nicole Su, Taiwan’s Ambassador to Saint Lucia, emphasized the importance of empowering local communities within the island’s thriving tourism industry.

“Tourism contributes more than 65% of Saint Lucia’s GDP, which led us to ask: how can we support local small and micro businesses so they can thrive in this sector?" said Ambassador Su. “That’s where this project comes in — not to impose, but to facilitate. Our goal is to help communities identify their strengths and build capacity from the ground up.”

She described the Community Tourism Stakeholders Networking Event as more than just a meeting: “It’s about connection. It’s about coming together to brainstorm how to make tourism more inclusive, more sustainable, and more impactful for local people. Let’s think together about how we can support artisans, food producers, farmers, fishers, and entrepreneurs — so that everyone benefits from tourism.”

“Taiwan, like Saint Lucia,” she added, “is an island nation with a colonial past. Both of our countries have had to go through periods of rediscovering and embracing our identities. In Taiwan, we’ve learned to turn our cultural heritage into strength — by telling our stories and building communities proud of their roots. I believe Soufrière can do the same.”

Ambassador Su said events like the Community Tourism Stakeholders Networking Event would mark the start of a lasting network: “This should not be a one-time connection, but the beginning of ongoing collaboration, learning, and growth.”

Hon. Emma Hippolyte, who is also Parliamentary Representative for Soufriere/Fond St. Jacques, urged the stakeholders to not normalize cutthroat competition, but instead see each other as partners committed to supporting each other to build the tourism industry.

“What we’re doing here is extremely important: understanding and developing the product together, understanding the uniqueness of each offering, and being able to support each other on that journey,” she said.

She added: “The visitor who comes here wants an authentic Saint Lucian experience. So we’re shifting the mindset from cutthroat competition to cooperation, from scarcity to abundance, from isolated efforts to a focused effort, unified resilient networking of partners.”

Hon. Hippolyte stressed that when industry stakeholders network strategically, they can discover new ideas, new markets, and new ways of building value.

“When we build trust, we forge the partnerships that stand the test of time,” she said. “When we create linkages, we multiply our reach, our resilience and our efforts. A guest who visits one community tourism enterprise should be guided naturally to the other. The traveler who experiences authentic culture at one stop should be encouraged to explore another flavour, another tradition, and another story just down the road. There is no loss, there is shared win.”

Meanwhile, Mr. Louis Tsou, Project Manager for the Community Business Revitalization Project at the Taiwan Technical Mission, said the Project has benefited MSMEs in Soufriere and Laborie so far, with plans for Babonneau and Dennery already in the pipeline. He urged those in attendance to gain more knowledge about how they fit into and can benefit from the tourism sector, and also become better at networking with each other.

“The Community Business Revitalization Project will continue to make a meaningful impact in the lives of people and their businesses,” Tsou assured. “We hope that as the Project continues to do so, that our entrepreneurs and other stakeholders strengthen their business networks, thereby creating essential linkages.”

Mrs. Stephia Hippolyte, Product & Business Development Manager/Co-Founder of The Signature Travel Group Inc., explained how the Community Tourism Development segment of the Community Business Revitalization Project was called into action in early 2024. This development, she said, included site visits and discussions with the objective of developing experiences which would reflect the true heart and essence of Saint Lucian communities.

“Our communities are not just places on a map — they are living, breathing centres of culture, history, creativity, and heart,” Hippolyte said. “As tourism stakeholders, we carry the responsibility not just to create businesses, but to ensure that these businesses uplift the people and places they touch.”

Mr. Ernest Augier, Chairperson of the Soufriere Regional Development Foundation (SRDF), said the event’s theme lent strategic significance to the scope, manner, and direction the island’s tourism industry needs to consider urgently in order to maximize the contribution the industry makes to the island’s overall development.

“As far as the industry is concerned, we need to give urgent attention to standards,” said Augier. “As the industry grows and evolves, standards must be recognized and adjusted to meet that discerning public. It cannot be business as usual. The diversification of the product and the product offerings and areas of development cannot be just sites. We have to consider things like heritage and cultural development. We have to look at all areas that can impact and involve the community’s in expansion of that industry.”

Keynote speaker, Mr. Dominic Alexander, a Social Development Specialist by profession, went to great lengths to explain both the challenges and opportunities that exist within the local tourism industry. However, he advised that there needs to be greater collaboration among stakeholders and greater investments made, especially in untapped sub-sectors.

A panel discussion focused on the topic, “Strengthening Tourism Ties, Creating Business Opportunities within our Communities”, featuring the following panelists: Hon. Emma Hippolyte, Minister for Commerce, Manufacturing, Business Development, Cooperatives and Consumer Affairs; H.E. Nicole Su, Taiwan’s Ambassador to Saint Lucia; Mrs. Ann Margaret Adams, Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism; Mr. Columbus Philippe, Board Member of the Fond St. Jacques Development Committee; Mr. Cyril Saltibus, Administrative Manager at the Soufriere Regional Development Foundation; and Mr. Christopher McNair, Programme Specialist from the CARICOM Development Bank.

The event brought together an audience of approximately 60 participants, including prominent hotel operators, Airbnb hosts from Laborie, government officials, and representatives from international aid agencies. Attendees engaged actively in the discussion, posing thoughtful questions and sharing insights. The gathering successfully connected local players in the tourism sector, with a shared vision of fostering a business-friendly environment that balances healthy competition with collaborative growth.

Other highlights on the day included booths that featured items from members of the Fond St. Jacques Interpretation Centre, and Laborie’s Papèl Craft Centre. Two seven-minute videos were also screened, featuring the “Kawet Kreations Craft Making Experience” and “A Taste of Village Life in Fond St. Jacques”.