St. Lucia is the latest Caribbean country to report a jump in tourism numbers.
The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) announced that visitor arrivals to the region was up six per cent at the end of the first quarter, with St. Lucia recording a 6.4 per cent growth over the same period last year.
St. Lucia officials have reported that the growth has continued past the first quarter, with a 1.4 per cent and 7.2 per cent increase recorded in April and May respectively.
At the end of the first five months of the year, total stay-over arrivals to the island was 159,077; up 5.5 per cent from the same period in 2014. The figures recorded in the first four months were the highest for these months ever recorded in the island’s history. The 29,658 arrivals recorded in May this year, was also the highest figure for that month in the last five years.
“As impressive as the growth performance figures were, there will be no letup in St. Lucia’s push toward reenergizing and invigorating the international marketplace via well-orchestrated strategies in key source markets,” said Tourism Minister Lorne Theophilus.
The North American Market has been extremely buoyant this year, with Canada recording a 10 per cent increase in arrivals year-to-date (YTD) and the United States nine per cent, stemming largely from the increase in airlift and strategic marketing approach within the respective markets.
The greatest percentage increase was noted from the Caribbean, which stood at 22,142 arrivals at the end of May – a 21 per cent increase from the same period last year.
Europe however, has not fared as well as other source markets, with marked declines in arrivals from the United Kingdom and Germany along with other European countries being recorded several months this year.
Tourism officials say targeted promotions and marketing campaigns planned for later this year should result in increased arrivals from these markets.
Meantime, cruise tourism is also on the rise, with a nine per cent increase in arrivals being recorded between January and April, following a four per cent increase in cruise calls. In yachting, a 1.5 per cent decrease in arrivals was noted, despite there being a 14 per cent decrease in calls.
Source-Caribbean360.
