St. Lucia’s Tourism Arrival Figures Continue to Rise for 2015

CASTRIES, St. Lucia, June 27 2015 – Saint Lucia joins the rest of the Caribbean in celebrating phenomenal increases in visitor arrivals in 2015.

The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) announced that visitor arrivals to the region was up 6 percent at the end of the first quarter, whilst Saint Lucia alone, recorded a 6.4 percent growth over the same period last year.

This growth has continued past the first quarter for Saint Lucia however, with a 1.4 percent and 7.2 percent 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 percent from the same period in 2014.

Furthermore, the figures recorded in the first four consecutive months, were the highest figures for these months ever recorded in the island’s history.  The 29,658 arrivals recorded in May this year, was however the highest figure for that month in the last five years.

The North American Market has been extremely buoyant this year, with Canada recording a 10 percent increase in arrivals year-to-date (YTD) and the US 9 percent, stemming largely from the increase in airlift and strategic marketing approach within the respective markets.  The greatest percentage increase however, was noted from the Caribbean, which stood at 22,142 arrivals at the end of May – a 21 percent increase from the same period last year.  Improvement in the data collection method, particularly in capturing arrivals from Martinique by boat, has been attributed to this increase.

Tourism Minister Lorne Theophilus said: “that as impressive as the growth performance figures were, there will be no letup in Saint Lucia’s push toward reenergising and invigorating the international marketplace via well-orchestrated strategies in key source markets.”

Europe however, has not fared as well as other source markets, with marked declines in arrivals from the UK and Germany along with other European countries, being recorded several months this year.

Targeted promotions and marketing campaigns planned for later this year, should result in increased arrivals from these markets before the year of 2015.

In other performance areas, cruise tourism is also on the rise, with a 9 percent increase in arrivals being recorded between January and April, following a 4 percent increase in cruise calls.  In yachting, a 1.5 decrease decrease in arrivals was noted, despite there being a 14 percent decrease in calls.