Saint Lucia as a destination has come under heavy criticism from international media. What will this mean for the number one industry?
Over the years, our island has built a reputation as one of the leading tourist destinations, capturing countless tourism-related awards and accolades in the process. The tourism sector continues to be the island’s main foreign exchange earner and also the largest employer. Undoubtedly, this didn’t happen by luck and was a result of years of building the tourism product, and marketing the island and its many offerings. But, as business magnate Warren Buffet once said: “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it.”
Following the death of British national Robert Hathaway on January 13, there has been a barrage of press coverage from news agencies in his homeland, the UK. They all take aim at the local justice system and the ongoing crime situation. Our lack of a functioning criminal court has also been highlighted. It has been non-operational since last April. Referring
to the 2014 Roger Pratt murder and Hathaway’s, an article in The Sunday Telegraph reads in part: “The killings offer a glimpse into the dark side of the island, far from the luxury beach resorts. Despite the government’s promises, law enforcement remains haphazard.”
Another overseas publication reads: “Such violence would have horrified St Lucia’s rich visitors, but will have come as no surprise to those who live there. Away from the spotless beaches and infinity pools, the island is gripped by a violent crime epidemic rooted in drugs and gang culture.” Bringing up the still unsolved murders of fellow British citizens Oliver Gobat, and Roger Pratt, the report concluded: “St Lucia’s tourism chiefs may be fretting over the brutal killing of Bob Hathaway, but sadly his killer may not be nearly so worried.”
What kind of fallout can this coverage bring to this important, yet fragile sector? Just last week tourism officials revealed at a press conference that the island had recorded last year, for the first time, 1.2 million visitor arrivals in a twelve-month period. The United Kingdom has historically been one of Saint Lucia’s top markets, alongside the United States. The number of stay-over arrivals in 2018 was 394,780; 76,142 came from the UK. Per statistics from the Central Statistics Office, stay-over arrivals for 2013-2017 were 318,626, 338,158, 344,908, 347,872, and 386,127 respectively. The UK was second only to the US in the international market, contributing 88,487, 73,960, 68,175, 64,514 and 72,580 for those years.
At a press briefing this week, National Security Minister Hermangild Francis addressed the situation. Minister Francis acknowledged that the negative reports will heighten tensions, and persons may question whether it is safe to come to the island. But while he said the negative press is understandable, considering the circumstances of Bob Hathaway’s death, Francis insisted that British visitors were not being targeted here. The minister advised that local press should “send the truth out there” so persons in the wider world know our country is not as dangerous as some claim.
Francis added: “Our judicial system is working. Activities at the Nyerah Court were interrupted only because a particular individual threatened a judge and some of the staff felt they were unsafe in their location and went on sickout.”
He said the government had spent $1.5 million renovating Nyerah Court “and by the end of this month you’ll see a refurbished Nyerah Court.” Time will certainly tell if Hathaway’s name will join those of Roger Pratt, Oliver Gobat and Jane Tipson on the list of unsolved murders involving British expats. It has yet to be determined what fallout, if any, will follow this latest murder. At press time, there had been no arrests related to the Hathaway homicide.
