By any stretch of the imagination, if no one knew about an extravagant beach party called Mercury Beach Party before 2014 all of that changed in August of last year. With photographs plasted all over the Internet, revealing thousands of Martniquans and Guadeloupeans having a blast at Pigeon Island along with a few Saint Lucians who dared to indulge, the reviews went through the roof, not to mention the “hits.” Not only that, for Taxi drivers, hotels, restaurant owners and vendors in the Rodney bay and Gros Islet area, Christmas had indeed come early as their revenue increased tenfold that weekend, thanks to the spend by the French visitors.
Saint Lucia Tourist Board looking to cash in on second Mercury Beach which last year was a huge success.This year, whereas there was some reluctance on the part of the Saint Lucia Tourist Board and the Ministry of Tourism to endorse last year’s event, they appear more gung ho this time around. The SLTB and the Ministry are supporting Mercury Beach as they gear up for the hosting of the 2nd edition at the Pigeon Island Beach on Saturday, August 15th, 2015. In a press statement, the SLTB says “the Mercury Beach Party supports the Saint Lucia Tourist Board’s strategy towards deepening the marketing penetration into the lucrative Caribbean market”. Last year “Mercury Beach” was hailed a major success having attracted over 4000 visitors and 325 vessels from Martinique and Guadeloupe, According to the SLTB “these numbers delivered an economic boost for the island, and specifically to restaurants, stores, tours and attractions, taxis and hotels which recorded a direct injection of business from the visitors over the course of their three day stay.
This year, the Board anticipates that the event will attract an increasing number of visitors from across the region. An electronic media advertising campaign has already started in Barbados, St. Vincent and Trinidad, and online for the rest of the region.
