Saint Lucia’s minister for tourism says an expansion of its international airport will bring the destination “into the future” as it doubles arrivals capacity.
Funding was approved in June for a major redevelopment that will see capacity at Hewanorra International Airport expanded from 2,800 to 6,000 passengers.
The project will include a brand-new terminal featuring an enhanced runway, executive lounge, shops and restaurants, extending on the existing terminal, which is currently used for both domestic and international passengers.
“At the moment our airport is very small,” Dominic Fedee, minister for tourism for the Caribbean nation, told Travel Weekly. “It’s a nightmare at weekends, and we’ve got to expand to facilitate more visitors.
“The new terminal is going to be state of the art – there’s going to be a lot more gates, and it’s really going to take us into the future.”
Construction of the new terminal has already gone out to tender and is expected to begin at the end of the year, with works set to be complete by the end of 2020.
It’s part of a wider tourism development plan that includes a string of new hotels scheduled for the next few years. They could see an additional 2,000 rooms open over the next eight years, according to Fedee – with the aim of doubling current bed space in the next 15 years.
A new Sandals property is currently under construction on the north coast, next to the existing Sandals Grande St Lucian, with 330 suites, overwater bungalows and a rooftop infinity pool – the latter a first of its kind in Saint Lucia.
Fairmont is due to open its second property on the island in early 2020 on the southwest coast with 120 rooms, 40 private villas, a spa and private marina, and AMResorts will follow suite with new Zoetry and Dreams properties, offering a further 330 rooms by 2021.
The tourist board has also announced a new National Tourism Advisory Committee, formed with the aim of strengthening ties across the island’s tourism sector. It will focus on tackling high airfares, increasing incentives to small businesses and raising the island’s profile.
“At the moment everything is managed by different companies – the airport, the agriculture, the ports, the marine parks, the policies,” said Fedee.
“So, this is a critical move for us. The council will bring 17 public and private sector institutions together so that everyone is on the same page and working together, making sure we’re developing as a sustainable destination that’s going to last in years to come.”
Key developments include a new highway connecting the airport to the north of the island, currently at the design stage, and a Village Tourism project that will see eight towns and villages renovated with existing buildings turned into guesthouses.