The newly appointed Board of Directors of the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority, since installment in September, is charting the way forward with a strategic vision that emphasizes culture, heritage, and history – reinforcing Minister of Tourism Hilaire’s commitment to “Putting People First”. The public can expect to see more of these components as key elements of the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority’s marketing plan, especially looking at linkages to ensure that the economic benefits of tourism include craftsmen, artisans farmers and other local establishments.
Appointed by Saint Lucia’s Tourism Minister, Hon. Dr. Ernest Hilaire, the Board of Directors reflects a balanced group of individuals with skill sets in the fields of law, entrepreneurship, marketing, hospitality, business management, community development, events, and accommodations management.
The board is chaired by Mr. Thaddeus M. Antoine – Attorney at Law and serving as the Deputy Chairperson is Mrs. Grace Parkinson – Chief Operating Officer at SLASPA and Chair of the Maritime Tourism Committee. Supporting directors are Mr. Paul Collymore – President of the SLHTA and Chair of the Airlift Committee, Mr. Thomas Leonce – President of the Vacation Rentals Association and Chair of the Marketing Committee, Mr. Ernest Augier – President of the Soufriere Regional Development Foundation and Chair of the Finance Committee, Ms. Savvy Gajadhar – Entrepreneur, Ms. Jeanine Henry – Senior Manager in the field of Finance and Securities, and Ms. Donalyn Vittet – Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism.
Serving with enthusiasm, the Board of Directors and Saint Lucia Tourism Authority recently represented the island’s interests in several tourism industry meetings and conferences around the world – with the goal of impacting tourism and increasing our island’s exposure globally. The Authority attended the annual Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) meeting and connected with key cruise executives, as Saint Lucia will see the return of 363 cruise calls this winter. Supporting the U.K. tourism market, the team attended World Travel Market in London, meeting with more than sixty top industry trade professionals including media, airlines, and tour operators. Saint Lucia is already seeing increased arrivals from the U.K. with over 20,000 visitors’ year to date and the new flights from Heathrow provide easier connections from Europe. At Expo Dubai, the Authority maximized the opportunity to examine emerging markets and ensure that Saint Lucia is at the forefront of attracting these new travelers to our region. And celebrating the achievements of our esteemed Saint Lucian tourism providers, the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority hosted an inaugural local award ceremony to reward outstanding tourism service providers for accolades won at the 28th annual World Travel Awards.
“Saint Lucia Tourism Authority will endeavor to keep improving the overall tide of tourism, creating development opportunities while also stimulating sustainable and inclusive growth opportunities, especially for our Saint Lucian people who are desirous of growing within the industry. In the coming weeks, the Authority will launch an awareness program intended to showcase the value of the tourism industry locally and multiply our touchpoints to ensure an all-encompassing program,” remarked Chairman – Mr. Thaddeus M. Antoine.
Enacted in August 2017 and serving as a statutory arm of the Government of Saint Lucia, some of the core roles of the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority are to operate as the destination’s lead marketing agency, positioning Saint Lucia in traditional markets while keeping focus on emerging markets and new opportunities.
Additionally, the Authority is tasked to carry out informative market research, facilitate business opportunities and linkages between tourism and other sectors of the economy, identify and facilitate training and capacity building needs for the tourism industry, and encourage the establishment and enhancement of amenities, facilities, and destination services appropriate for engagement of the brand promise of the destination.
The Saint Lucia Tourism Authority is one of the first points of contact for travelers to Saint Lucia. The organization markets the destination through targeted campaigns internationally, to showcase Saint Lucia on a global scale. As a destination, Saint Lucia prides itself on the power of the experiences it offers including award-winning world-class accommodation, cuisine, renowned music festivals, the world’s only drive-through volcano, warm friendly people, jaw-dropping vistas, and an atmosphere that is both relaxing and rewarding.
The head office of the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority is located at 1 Bella Rosa Road, Gros-Islet. Representative offices are in the USA, Canada, Martinique, and London, and by extension Europe. For more information visit stlucia.org.
