Safe tourism is the goal of any well-established travel and tourism destination, and St. Lucia is a good example.
Safertourism is part of the eTN Corporation, also the publisher of this publication. Dr. Tarlow reports from St. Luicia:
“Tomorrow I move from the northwest side of the island to the more “beautiful” and rustic side, southern side. During my time here I have chatted with major players in the tourism and yachting industries, spent a good deal of time with both law enforcement and the political leadership, and of course, enjoyed the beautiful scenery and the warmth of local hospitality.
St.Lucia, as should be true of any vibrant democracy, has a great many political and philosophical debates below the surface. These are the discussions that might impact the visitor but about which the casual visitor lives in blissful ignorance. For example, there is a political divide both here and in much of the Caribbean regarding separate or regional identities, individual or collective marketing. Those who favor a more regional approach argue for the economy of scales and that these mini-states are simply too small to have an individual impact. Those who take the opposite view that tourism is about the unique, and when a place loses its uniqueness it loses its soul. To some extent, this is the debate between popularism and elite globalism on a miniature scale.
Along with its robust political debates St. Lucia has many other things to share with the world, from gentle bays to hills perfect for hiking. Its people know the art of the smile and tend to welcome foreigners with a warm smile. These accolades do not mean that there are no challenges. Roads are in need of repair, police are underfunded, and the nation lacks a four-year institution of higher education. What it does have is a sense of the future and the realization that no problem is too hard to face. That is an important lesson from the world’s only nation named after a woman.
Love to all from St Lucia.