The Treasure Bay Casino on the Eastern Caribbean island of Saint Lucia was scheduled to open for visitors in December 2006. It is now due for completion in January next year, one of the projects that the island’s tourism officials say will ensure high levels of growth in tourism to Saint Lucia next year and beyond. Other key developments include the opening of the new Hotel Chocolat later this year and the relaunch of the Jalousie Plantation as The Tides Sugar Beach in 2011.

Tourism and Civil Aviation Minister Honourable Allan Chastanet said, “We are not expecting to see double-digit growth next year but we are expecting to maintain the growth that we have been able to achieve this year. We think we are already putting the industry in a position to see another huge increase in growth in 2012. We are expecting the Jalousie property to open up as the New Tides. There is also the expectation that Sandals and Coconut Bay will be increasing their room stock. We are also very hopeful that we will see some movement on the Le Paradis hotel. These developments are expected to come into fruition in 2012.”

Treasure Bay Casino, to be operated by Biloxi-based Treasure Bay Corporation, is sited in the Baywalk Mall in Rodney Bay Village. Saint Lucia’s first casino will have between 14 and 20 gaming tables and 250 to 350 slot machines. Recently Saint Lucia captured top accolades and honours in Condé Nast Traveler Magazine’s latest Readers' Choice Awards. According to over twenty five thousand of the prestigious magazine’s readers the Saint Lucian experience is second to none.

On Monday the Tourism Awareness Week commenced with a round table discussion with the theme ‘Securing the Future of Tourism in Saint Lucia and the Caribbean.’ Saint Lucia Tourist Board’s Public Relations Manager, John Emmanuel, said a major highlight of the opening ceremony is the official unveiling of a public advocacy campaign. “That campaign is being spearheaded by the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA). It has so far moved from Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and now on to Saint Lucia. Essentially the campaign is a series of Public Service Announcements (PSA) which are geared to sensitizing the public on the importance of the tourism industry.”

The SLTB has just concluded a twenty city road show in the US targeting over 1600 tour operators and travel agents. So far this year visitor arrivals from the US, which is Saint Lucia`s main source market, is up 16% compared to last year. The road show is continuing up into Canada, where the SLTB hopes double digit growth can be promoted.

The Gaming Control Act 2000 was amended in 2003 to allow a stand-alone casino but it still prevents locals from gaming at a casino. Last year Gaming Chairman Lisle Chase admitted that it would be difficult to police the law prohibiting Saint Lucians from gambling at the casino. According to the 39th Clause, residents and citizens of the island may not ‘either personally or through an agent be permitted to place wagers or collect winnings from a game’. Casino gambling has been widely opposed in Saint Lucia and any changes to the existing law would have to be pushed through by popular support from the local community. (E-10.26.10)

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