The Saint Lucia Tourism Authority (SLTA) hosted its 14th annual Showcase, 14th -20th September 2025 for more than 400 UK travel industry specialists.
The aim of the Showcase is to update industry partners on news and to hear from key operators, airlines, agents and media on what they need to market the destination to its optimum.
The week was centred around the increase and investment in Saint Lucia’s community tourism offering along with an update on existing hotel and tourism product. There is now a burgeoning range of experiences and accommodation for visitors to enjoy that also benefit local communities.
The Chairman of the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority Board, Mr Thaddeus M. Antoine, led the delegation, on behalf of the Minister for Tourism, Investment, Creative Industries, Culture and Information, Dr Ernest Hilaire. He commended the travel trade and media on their support of the destination and updated on the importance of its tourism resilience.
The Community Tourism Agency (CTA) was part of the delegation this year. As the only organisation of its kind in the Caribbean it was established to advise and guide Saint Lucians in setting up a sustainable livelihood in tourism to ultimately allow them to own, earn and prosper.
Throughout Saint Lucia Showcase, a series of networking meetings and events took place covering Saint Lucia’s news, tourism developments and new information on accommodation and excursions. Key annual elements included a media lunch, an Appreciation Dinner for senior UK travel executives as well as events for agents and consumers. This year, the SLTA hosted two inaugural trade events in Ireland on Monday 15th September in Belfast and Dublin. There was also a media lunch hosted by SLTA’s CEO Louis Lewis, in Dublin. These events were supported by some of Saint Lucia’s key hotel partners.
New fringe events for 2025 in London included a sip and paint art evening for content creators with Saint Lucian muralist Sakey and a consumer event in Essex.
The senior delegation with the Chairman included SLTA CEO Louis Lewis, Global Marketing Director Dexter Percil and CTA CEO Dahlia Guard. Key partners of the SLTA also participated including hotel owners and their UK representatives, airlines and Destination Marketing Companies (DMCs) swapping ideas and updates with travel agents and tour operators.
Louis Lewis, CEO for the SLTA said: “It’s been a rewarding and informative week as we have celebrated just how much Saint Lucia has to offer. There are challenges for tourism globally, due to war and conflict, economic difficulties and climate shifts on a broad scale. However, we are in a strong position thanks to our focus on resilient tourism to help us manage and embrace the future. Thank you to our partners in the UK & Ireland for helping us to keep our momentum. As our room stock increases along with the growth in our community tourism experiences, we are looking forward to the year ahead.”
Visitor stats for last year were up 14% to 435,000. The latest overall figures (July) indicate that visitors to Saint Lucia remain steady, with over 263,000 stay-over arrivals. The US continues to lead the markets with January to July figures at over 160,000, in line with 2024. British visitors made up 19% of Saint Lucia’ tourist market in 2024, keeping it at the second largest source market.
This year’s Showcase culminated in the 30th annual Gala dinner at Down Hall Hotel & Spa in Hatfield Heath, with BBC writer and actor Ashley Joseph as the host. Seven Special Recognition Awards were presented to key partners including the diaspora for their contribution and commitment to Saint Lucia. They were:
Tour Operator Partner of the Year
British Airways Holidays
Product Manager of the Year
Mark Tanner, British Airways Holidays
Product Manager of the Year
Samson Reece, Best At Travel
Special Recognition – Media Collaboration
Jazz FM
Special Recognition – Travel Trade Partnership
Paula & Colin Pegler
Special Recognition – Servicing the Destination for more than 30 years
British Airways
Special Recognition – Saint Lucian Diaspora
Sylvia Quinlan-Mercier