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Thursday, January 25, 2007 – Senator the Honourable Allan Chastanet
has invited the Saint Lucia Hotels and Tourism Association to assist his
ministry in enhancing the state of affairs at the Castries Craft Market and the
Vendors Arcade.
As the minister addressed a full house at the SLHTA's 43rd Annual General
Meeting on Wednesday January 24,2007, he related his own first-hand findings,
having paid unofficial visits to both places.
“I had the opportunity myself, to go into the Castries Market and the Vendors
Arcade across the street and what I saw there were a number of very depressed
people. And I saw a lot of people who are not adjusting to what the reality was
because everyone I spoke to complained about the heat that was preventing people
from buying things but the reality is almost 90 percent of the people there, are
selling the same thing and in fact its gotten so depressing that they are buying
it from the stores that they are competing against.”
The tools - the tourism minister suggested - needed to uplift these two
essential tourism products were a new vision and new ideas.
“I also went to the Vendors Arcade and it was just ironic again to see an
opportunity where the front of the arcade was on Jeremie street and the back of
it was on the waterfront. Yet the most expensive land to get in St. Lucia is the
waterfront and wouldn't it be nice if that little restaurant Monty's was jazzed
up and there was a little band stand that was opened there? You put some tables
and some umbrellas and you have a great party going selling margaritas and pina
coladas and make it a fun party so when the cruise ship passengers are coming
from their ships and see what's going on there - they would say - I want to be
part of it.”
Minister Chastanet said there is a need for a change of mindset where the
conduct of business is concerned.
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