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Saint Lucia - A safe vacation destination
Caribbean Lockdown Stories
In 2020, life changed. A little over two years on, here we are, and getting a sense of normality still eludes us. Nonetheless, I think we are getting there and on the right track. Our goal to ensure we can offer a safe vacation destination.
Looking back over the past months, what have we learned? What can we say about Saint Lucia and those we rely on for our livelihood; North America and Europe.
From lockdown to Business as Usual?
In common with our neighbors, St Vincent, Grenada, Barbados, Martinique, and Antigua, we rely on tourism for the more significant part of our income. Our target markets' COVID protocols prevented travel, and in any case, there were no air services for some time. There was simply no work, and unemployment rose to unprecedented levels.
In Saint Lucia, the government of the day was swift to act even before lockdowns overseas. Closing our borders and introducing strict internal protocols was a wise yet brave decision. Other than supermarkets and other essentials, every business closed down. All hotels, restaurants, bars, entertainment places, and tours ceased to function in the tourism sector, resulting in thousands of staff sent home.
Not only a safe vacation destination, but full of empathy.
But we learned that even big business can have an empathetic face. The utility companies responded to the crisis by not pushing for disconnections. The banks gave moratoriums on mortgages and essential loans. They behaved as bankers, not money-lenders. I would draw the attention of our visitors to this as a characteristic of Saint Lucia. We are lovely people, and when you come, we'll care for you.
We lived with the stress of 7-day, 24-hour curfews, along with a temporary ban on alcohol, but hey, this is the Caribbean, and so somehow, rum was obtainable if you knew where!
St Lucia is blessed
We learned that living on this beautiful island is a blessing. We probably cannot understand what it was like to endure lockdown in tower block apartments in the cold Northern winters, whereas we could look from our terraces and decks at blue skies and sunshine most of the time.
Although the government managed to finance a furlough scheme, we also learned which hotels and resorts were ready to stand by their employees and provide support, some even launching guest appeals to raise money.
Most impressive was the overall response of Saint Lucians to the crisis and to appeals made by the government. Everywhere you looked, masks were being worn willingly, social distancing observed, and frankly, a determination to cooperate and get through the ordeal the best way possible.
Crime has been at an all-time low, and in general, a bonhomie existed along with a spirit of caring for one's neighbor. At that point, we knew we'd probably come through this reasonably unscathed.
Escape from Stress, taking on Sustainable Hospitality
We've been spared the embarrassment of selfish people arguing about wearing masks in stores as in first-world countries. We've learned to be patient in our inimitable Caribbean way. ("Don't worry 'bout a ting. Cos everyting gonna be irie").
Unlike war or a natural catastrophe, a virus doesn't destroy the landscape and architecture. Saint Lucia is as beautiful as ever. Is it possible that the beauty we wake up to every day, coupled with a global realization of how quickly the planet can recover with such a dramatic drop in carbon emissions, has focused the hospitality industry on sustainability?
It would be fantastic if that were so, but we've also learned to be cynical about those possibilities.
Having said that, it is noticeable that some hotels in Saint Lucia are looking to sustainability as the next big thing. We'll see growing evidence of this as travelers are statistically more interested than ever before in the sustainability rating of where they will stay.
The Great Comeback
We began welcoming visitors back to the island in 2021. Americans came first, hungry for soft sand and sunshine. Then the Brits, slowly at first, then building momentum as restrictions were lifted. Despite those restrictions eased by the USA and the UK, Saint Lucia wisely held on to its own rules for pre-testing up until April 2nd, 2022. Now visitors that have been vaccinated can arrive here with no PCR test required for entry.
My story is just a taster of what life can be in Saint Lucia. I believe the hiatus in tourism caused by the pandemic has made us all open to new travel concepts.
Not only that, but in tandem with the idea of how the rest of the world sees us, we learned some valuable lessons that will serve the tourism industry well. The Caribbean island nations are always proud, but we learned not just to be proud Saint Lucians but also to be proud of what we have achieved and how we handled ourselves in the crisis. I believe we are more empathetic to our fellow man, and I genuinely hope that the bonhomie that characterized the pandemic remains intact.
To future visitors, I say: Don't just come for the beauty, the soft sand, and the suntan. Come and get happy. Meet the people. You can take away so much more than a tan no matter where you stay. Ask your resort about joining in some local events. I believe it is called "immersive tourism."
Saint Lucia is an island of smiles.
Come and see us and make sure you smile back.
