Local Tour Operator Wants Hiking As Part Of Sports Tourism

Local tour operator and Chief Executive Officer of Father Nature Adventures, Jn Louis Mathurin, is advocating for the sport of hiking to be taken more seriously as part of the island’s tourism product.  Approximately 70% of Saint Lucia is mountainous, making it one of the more rugged islands in the Caribbean. The island is characterised by a central mountainous region, which includes peaks like Mount Gimie (the highest point at 950 meters/3,117 feet) and the world-famous Pitons. Mathurin, who was part of a crew that completed Saint Lucia’s three-peak challenge within 10 hours, advocated for the addition of competitive hiking to the sports tourism calendar, noting: “I think competitions would be huge for us. If we can have people try to beat our 10-hour three-peak record, climbing Mount Gimie, Petit Piton, and Gros Piton, or we can see who can go up one of the mountains the fastest, it can make for healthy competition to market this sector and invite more people to St. Lucia.” However, in order to develop the sports side of hiking tourism, Mathurin believes that it is imperative that the authorities maintain trails in hiking areas. “I would first focus on maintenance and trail development. For...