Record Visitor Arrivals For Lucian Carnival

By Tony Nicholas Preliminary visitor arrival figures for Saint Lucia Carnival 2024 point to the numbers trending above 18,000. That is according to the Public Relations Manager at the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority, Geraine George. The announcement came Wednesday morning during a carnival media briefing and the announcement of Carnival winners. However, Tourism Minister Dr. Ernest Hilaire in speaking with St. Lucia Times  earlier stated that while these are exciting times for the growth and development of the carnival product, there is need for a balance between the growth in terms of visitors and ensuring the island maintains its cultural and creative authenticity. In making the announcement Wednesday, Geraine Georges said that the preliminary figures represents arrivals between July 7 – July 16, 2024. “This is the heavy carnival period, the week of private events as well as our national parade of the bands,” she noted. The final figures she went on to say will be released very soon. “The Saint Lucia Tourism Authority is very pleased with the turnout for Lucian carnival this year. We are very pleased with the support and our efforts to continue marketing Lucian carnival in the global market place,” Georges told the media. “In...