Saint Lucia – Let her Inspire You!

BY: ALYSSA MAHADEO

Imagine a place with sparkling blue waters, lush tropical rainforests, and the smell of cocoa and sulfur entwined in the air. This is Saint Lucia, a gem embedded in the Caribbean Sea, a romantic retreat filled with the most spectacular views to explore. 15 meter high waterfalls, cascade from deep in the interior of the rainforest, pouring over a cliff into a garden, surrounded by lush greenery and vegetation, it is truly a sight to behold.

Saint Lucia is an Eastern Caribbean island nation with a pair of dramatically tapered mountains, the Pitons, on its west coast. Its coast is home to volcanic beaches, reef-diving sites, luxury resorts and fishing villages where locals and tourists alike come to experience its rich and vibrant history and cultures.

Their history is a rich tapestry, the island, a melting pot of cultures and carries a strong sense of heritage and cultural identity that the locals vehemently celebrate to this day.

342 meters above the ground, on the CN Tower lookout deck, members of the Saint Lucia travel authority hosted a VIP event to allow members of the Canadian media to network with hotel partners while also announcing the launch of the 2019 Saint Lucia Jazz Festival produced in collaboration with Jazz at Lincoln Centre.

The private affair was an intimate look at some of the local boutique style hotels and all-inclusive resorts where tourists to Saint Lucia are invited to stay when they travel to the island to explore its many facets and discover the beauty that Saint Lucia has to offer.

Honored guest for the evening, the Minister for Tourism, Information, and Broadcasting shared, “This year we are sending a brand new message, and that is Saint Lucia has something for everyone.”

“Traditionally we have positioned the island as a place where people come to lay on the beach and get a tan, but we are moving away from that, sharing our festivals in the summer, from May to October,” Minister Fedee explains.

“Chocolate and cocoa has made a big comeback, in the 70s when the ending of preferences would have hit agriculture by globalization what we would have seen is that cocoa would have no future but chocolates started manufacturing high-end chocolates and people have started linking tourism with our cocoa and a lot of our resources are being built on chocolate plantations so it’s been working really well bringing out the soul of the destination.”

On the island of Saint Lucia, the unique combined influence of Caribbean, African, English, and French cultures create an exquisite blend of food, music, and traditions that will inspire and enchant you. It is a picture-perfect paradise of iconic landmarks and boasts to be so much more than an ordinary island. Her mountains, jungles, beaches, and historic sites radiate history, beauty and a sense of living poetry.

“We’re full of adventure, we manufacture some of the most amazing foods, and hot sauce, rum and if you call the people back home, they will tell you how the Dennery segment from Saint Lucia is taking the Soca industry by storm they are performing at every single carnival,” Minister Fedee says.

“We’ve realized that what makes a tourism destination, and what makes a place interesting to visit is not just the sand, the sun, and the sea, but all of these things combined with the vibe of the people. The Gros Islet street party that happens every Friday night the biggest and longest standing street party in the world. A local fishing village comes abuzz with hundreds of people, locals and tourists alike come together and these are the things that make a destination unique and we think that we’ve got it.”

Of course, it’s not possible to see every corner of the island during your visit, and even many locals live here their entire lives without discovering all of her secrets. However, there are a few iconic Saint Lucia landmarks that are not to be missed during a visit to her shores. Saint Lucia’s reputation of being romantic is very well documented. Every single honeymooner loves to come for a relaxing getaway and many brides will plan her destination wedding there because it’s the most beautiful spot and they invite the world to come and enjoy.

The Caribbean is the world’s most tourism-dependent economy and there is a lot of potential for them to grow and expand, their goal is to fill their hotel rooms and create jobs and opportunities for the people. If you are thinking about planning your next island escape, consider Saint Lucia, go let her inspire you.