Cruise Ship Sector Sees Strong Growth

Contact: Rose Marie Harris

Friday, August 8, 2001 – Heartened by a 27 per cent increase in cruise ship passengers for the first quarter of 2001, the Ministry of Tourism is forecasting that a record half million cruise ship passengers will visit St Lucia this year.

According to Permanent Secretary Mc.Hale Andrew, the total of 510,000 cruise passengers projected for 2001 represents a significant increase on last year’s total. The growth being seen in this sub-sector of tourism was “quite significant” and “a piece of good news”, he said.

Cruise passengers for the first quarter of 2001 totalled 309,005, up from 242,508 for the same period last year.

As for long stay visitors, Andrew said: “We are hoping that for the coming winter season we  would see a very significant pick-up in arrivals and expenditure of course.”

Against the backdrop of slowdown in the global economy, he said proposals had been presented to the relevant authorities to provide the Saint Lucia Tourist Board with additional funding to step up the marketing of St Lucia in key markets, with the aim of stimulating arrivals for the coming winter and the summer of 2002. 

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