Saint Lucia: Saint Lucia welcomed its first cruise- Carnival Venezia, on Sunday, marking the commencement of the cruise season 2023/24. The Tourism Minister of Saint Lucia, Ernest Hilaire, marked the start of the cruise season by holding 4,000 passengers out of the capacity of 5100 passengers.
The Siant Lucia tourism ministry expects this season to be one of the largest, anticipating 650,000 visitors through 400 cruise ships.
Ernest Hilaire shared the excitement on his official social media account, saying, “We are expecting one the largest cruise ship seasons with about 650,000 visitors expected through 400 cruise ship calls and 18 inaugural calls. The Venezia also has 20 Saint Lucians employed in various capacities.”
Moreover, this year, the Saint Lucia administration made many necessary changes and tried to focus on small little things. Cruise tourism benefits taxi drivers, restaurants, beach chair rentals, vendors, sites and attractions.
“Let us make the season a success and find creative and innovative ways to increase the passenger spend,” said Tourism Minister Hilaire.
A cultural celebration is what guests and crew of Carnival Venezia disembarked to at Port Castries earlier today. Venezia made its inaugural call to Saint Lucia from its home port in Brooklyn, New York, signalling the start of the 2023/24 cruise tourism season.
This Cruise Season anticipates over 400 cruise calls, including 19 inaugural calls and more than 600,000 visitors.
This season is anticipated to be big as it’s going to employ many Saint Lucians. The economic impact of the cruise to the destination is vast as it impacts not only government and private sector businesses but also creates employment across the industry.
Sources also indicated that Vendors, taxi drivers, and tour operators are eagerly waiting for the influx of visitors, recognizing the season’s potential to bolster their livelihoods.
Many key stakeholders expressed their optimism about the season’s commencement.