The announcement and dates of this year’s Saint Lucia Jazz Festival provided the impetus for the island tourist board’s annual Toronto gathering for the trade at the top of the glittering Hotel X overlooking the city late last week.
It was also a chance for travel agents, supplier partners and the media to meet Beverly Nicholson Doty, the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority’s new chief executive officer, though the tourism industry veteran was clearly a familiar face for many, having long served in tourism capacities in the US Virgin Islands and as a former chairperson of the Caribbean Tourism Organization.
Making the move to Saint Lucia from her home islands in the USVI (though she was born in New York) last July has been seamless, Nicholson Doty told Travel Industry Today. “I’m an island girl,” she smiled.
Nicholson Doty likens Caribbean islands to flavours at Baskin-Robbins – all with their own unique taste, but ice cream, nonetheless. “We all share some similarities, like African culture, and foods that are the same but called differently,” she says.
But having said that, she says of Saint Lucians, “I’ve never met nicer people in the region.”
She adds that she has also quickly become smitten with the island. “The Pitons are majestic; the topography, the vistas, are things that stand out…”
She also cites the island’s creole heritage – a fusion of African, Caribbean and French cultures – as being “so unique” and adding to the island’s distinctive character.
And, of course, there are the “incredible summer festivals,” of which the Saint Lucia Jazz Festival is the crown jewel. Running since 1992, and now produced in collaboration with New York’s prestigious Jazz at the Lincoln Center, the three-day extravaganza takes place from May 7 to 9 this year, and caters to both the “serious jazz lover and the first-time visitor to island who is looking for a profoundly good time.”
Headliners of this year’s event include Chick Corea’s Vigilette, Roy Hargrove Celebration, and Alphonso Horne and the Gotham Kings, while other performers will continue to be added and announced.
Another colourful festival is Carnival, which will be July 15-22 this year.
TOURIST TAX
It should be noted that visitors to the island for the festivals, or otherwise, will have to pay a new accommodation fee of US$3 or $6/night (based on the nightly hotel rate threshold of $120), while Airbnb and VRBO guests will have to pay 7% with the funds earmarked for destination marketing and development.
And while there has naturally been some criticism of the tax, which will come into effect on April 1, Nicholson Doty maintains that “what Saint Lucia is proposing is quite moderate” and that travellers in the modern global economy are accustomed to such fees.
“It is critical for the government to have a sustainable funding strategy that allows the government to plan several years out and not compete with social services (for allocated budget money),” she says.
CANADIAN OFFICE
Another thorny issue addressed by the chief executive is the recent “transition” of the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority operation in Canada from a full-fledged office to a nimble operation of several individuals, who work here but report back to the island.
“Running a bricks and mortar office is no longer necessary. Technology has changed that. The world has changed a lot since the days when every Caribbean country needed an office in every primary city,” Nicholson Doty says.
But acknowledging that “there is no substitute for personal contact,” the SLTA has retained a director of sales (Rod Hanna), communications firm (Andrew Rickets, Total Public Relations) and social media manager (Jenelle Ernest) in Toronto.
The move, Nicholson Doty says, allows the authority to spend more money directly on consumers, travel trade and social media, adding “everyone has to execute according to their budget.”
She is equally steadfast in affirming the importance of Canada to Saint Lucia – as it’s number three international market and boasting a strong network of trade partners and direct flights, including Air Canada, WestJet and Sunwing.
And with Canada breaking the 40,000-visitor threshold in 2019, Nicholson Doty says, “Canada is incredibly impactful” to Saint Lucia tourism. And as such, she promises, “We will very much have a presence in the market!”
