Saint Lucia has been voted ‘World’s Leading Honeymoon Destination’ ten times by the World Travel Awards, and is on track to take that honour once more after being nominated again this year. In 2018 romance accounted for almost 24,000 stay-over arrivals and was the third largest niche behind holiday/leisure and visiting family or relatives. Whether drawn by the Instagram-worthy scenery for those enviable wedding and engagement photos, lured by the tropical climate or taking advantage of attractive packages offered by resorts or the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority (SLTA), couples are the stand-out segment that many stakeholders view as the ‘golden goose’ of the market.
But is this reliance on romance the best strategy? As with any business, diversification is key – to hedge against uncertainty in the market, broaden the customer base and plan for long-term profitability. By focusing so intently on honeymooners and the like, is Saint Lucia’s tourism missing out on other niches?
Leveraging links
SLTA Public Relations Manager John Emmanuel thinks not. He says the Authority’s strategy is to leverage its romantic reputation to spread the wealth to other sectors and adds: “Our brand is a focus on all that is alluring, beautiful and romantic about our culture. We market Saint Lucia as an island made for lovers [but] we take a holistic approach. We try to tie that market into others. We do not want to put everything into one basket.”
Generally speaking, travellers in love are big spenders. They stay at top-brand resorts such as Sandals and Royalton, they spend in a number of subsidiary sectors for items such as couples’ experiences, wedding outfits, catering, photography and event management. “A lot of money goes into destination weddings. For the normal couple the next biggest investment after a home is their wedding. The planning does not happen overnight, it is years in the making,” says Emmanuel.
This gives operators a chance to leverage links with other on-trend niches such as health and wellness, and experiences, as couples seek to maximise their down time by taking trips, or relaxing in a spa before the big day. “We are pushing soft adventures, experiences, wellness and events and festivals along with the romance market,” says Emmanuel. But those niches are markets in their own right, and usually cater to tourists with smaller budgets who risk being sidelined in favour of couples. Traveller demographics are shifting rapidly.
The younger generation is now travelling to immerse themselves in a destination, shunning big name resorts in favour of Airbnb, opting for cultural experiences and sharing their trips with a wide social media audience. While these tourists may not bring in as much per trip as the average honeymooner, there is a greater likelihood of them becoming repeat visitors, they are powerful marketing tools in their own right and they arguably contribute more to a destination by interacting with local communities.
Just as general traveller demographics shift, so too do marital trends. Data from the Pew Research shows that Americans are walking up the aisle later in life with the average age at first marriage hitting 30 for men and 28 for women in 2018. While marriage rates decline worldwide, cohabiting is on the rise as couples favour less conventional living arrangements.
The lucrative LGBTQ community is also a powerhouse in this niche. More likely than straight couples to be child-free, these travellers generally have more disposable income and leisure time – making them a market ripe for the picking. The World Tourism Organization estimates that LGBTQ tourism is worth more than US$ 140bn worldwide. But the Caribbean has a troubled history with this market. Many destinations, including Saint Lucia, still criminalise male sexual relations.
Emmanuel does not believe this has discouraged same-sex couples from visiting, however, saying: “It may not be as open as some other parts of the world but I do not think Saint Lucia is missing out [on this market]. There is nothing stopping same-sex couples from coming to Saint Lucia and walking down the street, being on the beach or going to our festivals. They come all the time.”
And, as for same-sex wedding ceremonies, he says this is something the SLTA will accommodate when and if they become legalised in the country. “Once the time is right and society allows it, we will have no difficulty marketing that. We ensure we are always ready to adapt to changes.”
The market evolves
Romance isn’t going anywhere. There will always be lovers wanting the perfect backdrop to celebrate their union. The worry is that the solidity of the market may give a false sense of security to tourism stakeholders who haven’t revamped the formula in decades.
Tourism is an ever-changing business and the romance niche is not immune to upheaval. Every island in the Caribbean can promise beaches and sunshine making it a fiercely competitive segment. As competition heats up, some operators have been turning to more and more outrageous offerings to keep couples interested. Getting down on one knee to propose is now apparently passé as couples pop the question on mountains, with wild animals and in the ocean. The craze for underwater weddings turned tragic recently when a Louisiana man drowned trying to propose to his girlfriend while free-diving in Tasmania.
Capturing the next wave of romance travellers isn’t just about gimmicks. For Emmanuel, it’s about planning ahead. “Our brand ethos is to build on what we have and accentuate it. Our strategy is to research and see where the trends are going, to be very nimble and very flexible. We continue to monitor the market.” Latest data from the SLTA shows that festivals and other events are becoming an increasing draw for visitors and Emmanuel wants to encourage cross-over with the romantic market through events such as Creole Heritage Month, Carnival and even sporting activities.
“We know we cannot just keep people coming for romance, so there is a strong push to build up things around this. We have a number of traditional, grassroots activities. We are saying: ‘Come to Saint Lucia and experience it our way.’”
