SLHTA Congratulates New SLP Administration

The Saint Lucia Hospitality and Tourism Association Inc. (SLHTA) extends sincere congratulations to Prime Minister-elect Philip J. Pierre and his soon-to-be sworn-in Cabinet of Ministers on their successful bid to form the new Government of Saint Lucia.

Our organization wishes the new administration the successful implementation of their programmes under its three broad objectives, which include stabilizing the economy and repositioning Saint Lucia for economic expansion.

“Given the especially trying circumstances that our island has had to navigate in recent times, due in great part to the COVID-19 pandemic, the task at hand will be undoubtedly a great one for the new government,” said SLHTA’s Chief Executive Officer, Noorani Azeez. “However, the SLHTA stands ready to ensure that its contribution directly impacts the expansion of our economy in a positive way...Read More
SLHTA Wishes Saint Lucia Team Success At Tokyo Games

The SLHTA values the tireless contributions that all athletes continue to make in an effort to not only bring prominence to our island, but we also believe that sports are a crucial part of our island’s overall development.

So important is the SLHTA’s commitment to sports that in August 2019, at its Annual General Meeting, the SLHTA inducted Saint Lucia’s most decorated athlete, Levern Spencer, as an SLHTA Goodwill Ambassador.

Spencer, who won a gold medal in high jump at the Pan Am Games in Lima, Peru that same year, has won a slew of other medals at various meets locally, regionally and internationally. She has been ranked among the world’s top ten female high jumpers.
The star athlete, who turned 37 in June and is now competing at her fourth consecutive Olympic Games, was cited by the SLHTA as “an absolute jewel” and “phenomenal daughter of the soil” and praised for her “humility, dedication, persevering spirit and heart of a champion”. 

Spencer, who hails from Cacoa, Babonneau, is a multiple winner of the Female Sportswoman of the Year title in Saint Lucia. She broke Saint Lucia’s national high jump record as a fourteen-year-old in 1998 while a student at Entrepot Secondary School and has kept raising the bar since then.

As an SLHTA Goodwill Ambassador, Spencer collaborates with the SLHTA to raise funds for various charities and establish legacy projects aimed at the development of Saint Lucian youth.

SLHTA Chief Executive Officer, Noorani Azeez, says Spencer’s positive attitude to sports and her esteemed service to country are hallmarks for which she will always be respected and remembered.

“Levern Spencer is truly a class act,” said Azeez. “She epitomizes some of the best qualities about our island and our people. And so, the SLHTA wishes her and the rest of Team Saint Lucia the very best as they represent us at the highest level of competitive sports – the Olympic Games.”

The SLHTA believes that sports create opportunities for youth to gain meaningful employment and engage in positive activities, thereby reducing crime and other social ills. The organization also believes that investing in sports can stimulate growth in other sectors of the economy, particularly sports tourism.
British Airways Reintroduces Service to Saint Lucia From Heathrow After More Than 30 Years

Saint Lucia has added another gateway to the destination with the reintroduction of service with British Airways out of London Heathrow (LHR) after more than 30 years. The Boeing 777 touched down on Saturday, July 24, 2021, at approximately 5:45 p.m. with a total capacity of 173, most of which are visitors.

Out of Gatwick (LGW), Saint Lucia already welcomes a weekly service with TUI and 4 flights per week with British Airways. The UK is typically Saint Lucia’s second-largest tourism market and thus far, year- to-date reflects 4% growth.

Thirteen crewmembers led by Captain -Peter Williams joined Officials of the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority (SLTA) to receive a commemorative plaque that depicts the iconic twin pitons, niche markets, and surprise welcome packages. Two lucky passengers were also gifted on arrival.

“This newly-introduced weekly service from Heathrow comes at an opportune time when Saint Lucia is drumming up even more support for an already exciting summer, and the upcoming peak winter period. This also signals continued progress towards the full recovery of the tourism sector,” said Public Relations Manager, Geraine Georges...Read More
CTO Launches Caribbean Community Tourism Network

Tourism product development authorities in the region now have a resource from which to draw when developing their community-based tourism (CBT) programmes.
The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) has launched the Caribbean Community Tourism Network (CCTN) to provide a platform to support the continued development of CBT in the Caribbean.

The network will facilitate the exchange of best practices among CTO member countries and interested tourism development partners and help identify capacity-building needs as well as challenges and opportunities for CBT development...Read More
British Airways calls for end to quarantine for vaccinated travellers
    
The results of a joint UK proving trial established by Heathrow, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have demonstrated the UK government can rapidly expand its amber policy and remove self-isolation for fully vaccinated US and EU citizens arriving into the UK.

The news comes as the government reportedly prepares to remove quarantine for fully vaccinated travellers from amber list countries in the coming weeks.

Using a selection of US, Caribbean and European routes, the trial proved that airlines and airports can very effectively check a wider range of recognised vaccination statuses for different nationalities – in both paper and digital format – at the point of departure and away from the UK Border...Read More