Carnival Winners Celebrated

On Friday, August 16, 2024, participants in this year’s national carnival events, organised by the Carnival Planning and Management Committee (CPMC), were celebrated at the annual prize-giving ceremony. The event at the Sandals Grande ballroom in Gros Islet was hosted by Oneka McCoy and opened with a carnival tribute in song, dance and elements of carnival. The Minister for Tourism, Investment, Culture, Creative Industries, and Broadcasting, Dr. Ernest Hilaire, addressed the guests. “We meet tonight to honour all those who succeeded, all those who won prizes, and all those who have to be rewarded for their outstanding performances,” the Minister stated. “But in many ways each and every one of us is a winner, because Saint Lucia this year, was simply outstanding when it came to carnival and I think we should give each and every one of us an applause for that,” Hilaire declared. He revealed that earlier that day, he had received the official tourism arrival figures for July, encompassing a little over two weeks of the major carnival activities. The Tourism Minister disclosed that July reflected a 32% increase in visitor arrivals over that same period last year. “As we enjoy the successes of this year and...