By Cletus Felix

Wednesday, May 24, 2000 - A major promotion being put on by the St. Lucia Tourist Board in Germany got underway on Monday. This promotion is being held in collaboration with a major department store in Germany, Hertie, a company with over 200 department stores throughout Germany. Approximately 20 St. Lucians are participating in this promotion taking place in Munich, one of Germany’s largest cities. The team is headed by Mrs. Maria Fowell, Deputy Director of Tourism. She is accompanied by Ms. Tanya Warner, Senior Marketing Officer with the Tourist Board and Mr. Cletus Felix, the Tourist Board,s Public Relations Officer. One of the island’s most notorious chefs, owner of the Green Parrot Hotel, Chef Harry, who is part of the promotion to display certain aspects of St. Lucian cuisine.

The group is also made up of limbo dancers from Le Sport Hotel, All Stars Steel Band, a hair dresser as well as a basket weaver from the Choiseul Craft Centre. The main objective of this promotion is to increase the number of visitors to the island from Germany. Currently Germans make up a significant part of the number of visitors from Europe but the Tourist Board wishes to make it one of the island’s major tourist markets. The German market is also a main client base for the island’s small hotels.

The promotion, which has been going on for three days is scheduled to go on for two weeks. It is one of the most extensive promotions ever put on by the Board in Germany. To date the St. Lucian group has generated quite a stir in Munich particularly from the German press.

On Tuesday, the group hosted a special reception for the press and also Munich City officials. The reception featured a St. Lucian buffet prepared by Chef Harry which went down very well with the German guests.