Tourism in Saint Lucia
Encyclopedia
Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia is an island country in the eastern Caribbean Sea on the boundary with the Atlantic Ocean. Part of the Lesser Antilles, it is located north/northeast of the island of Saint Vincent, northwest of Barbados and south of Martinique. It covers a land area of 620 km2 and has an...
, an island in the Caribbean islands, has a relatively large and lucrative tourism industry, attracting an estimated 350,000 visitors per year. Due to the relatively small land area of the country, most of the governmental promoting is performed by the state operated Saint Lucia Tourism Board.
Most tourists are attracted to the relatively unspoiled landscape and beaches, as with many other Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
islands.
Tourism Industry
Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia is an island country in the eastern Caribbean Sea on the boundary with the Atlantic Ocean. Part of the Lesser Antilles, it is located north/northeast of the island of Saint Vincent, northwest of Barbados and south of Martinique. It covers a land area of 620 km2 and has an...
is so vital, that it is the runner-up for the position of the most economically important industry, behind banana
Banana
Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....
s. It is expected that tourism will take the place of the most economically important industry in Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia is an island country in the eastern Caribbean Sea on the boundary with the Atlantic Ocean. Part of the Lesser Antilles, it is located north/northeast of the island of Saint Vincent, northwest of Barbados and south of Martinique. It covers a land area of 620 km2 and has an...
in the near future, as the market for banana
Banana
Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....
s becomes more competitive among the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
islands. Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia is an island country in the eastern Caribbean Sea on the boundary with the Atlantic Ocean. Part of the Lesser Antilles, it is located north/northeast of the island of Saint Vincent, northwest of Barbados and south of Martinique. It covers a land area of 620 km2 and has an...
tends to be popular due to its tropical weather and scenery and for its large number of beaches and resorts. Crime is becoming increasingly prevalent in St. Lucia and this could threaten the development of the tourist industry.
Other Attractions
Although cruises and beaches are what draws most tourists to Saint LuciaSaint Lucia
Saint Lucia is an island country in the eastern Caribbean Sea on the boundary with the Atlantic Ocean. Part of the Lesser Antilles, it is located north/northeast of the island of Saint Vincent, northwest of Barbados and south of Martinique. It covers a land area of 620 km2 and has an...
, other attractions include:
- The PitonsPitonsThe Pitons are two volcanic plugs in a World Heritage Site in Saint Lucia. The Gros Piton is 771 m, and the Petit Piton is 743 m high; they are linked by the Piton Mitan ridge.- Geography :...
, two volcanic plugs rising more than 700 m directly from the sea that form part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. - Sulfur SpringsSulfur SpringsSulfur Springs is a popular tourist attraction found in Soufrière, Saint Lucia. In fact, the town of Soufrière got its name from the sulfur mining in the 19th century....
- Located in SoufrièreSoufrière, Saint LuciaSoufrière is a quarter on the Southwest coast of Saint Lucia in the West Indies. Soufrière was the former capital of Saint Lucia during times of French rule. It is now a small sleepy fishing port with an emerging tourism industry...
, it is the world's only drive-in volcanoVolcano2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
. - St. Lucia Botanical GardensSt. Lucia Botanical GardensSt. Lucia Botanical Gardens, also known as the Diamond Botanical Gardens, is home of the Diamond Waterfall and the oldest botanical gardens on the island of St. Lucia. The botanical garden is located in the town of Soufrière, in the South-Western region of the island St...
- This botanical gardenBotanical gardenA botanical garden The terms botanic and botanical, and garden or gardens are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word botanic is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is a well-tended area displaying a wide range of plants labelled with their botanical names...
has a wide variety of plant species, and a sulfurSulfurSulfur or sulphur is the chemical element with atomic number 16. In the periodic table it is represented by the symbol S. It is an abundant, multivalent non-metal. Under normal conditions, sulfur atoms form cyclic octatomic molecules with chemical formula S8. Elemental sulfur is a bright yellow...
waterfallWaterfallA waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...
. - Our Planet Centre - The first Our Planet Centre in the world has just opened in La Place Carenage, Castries.
- Featuring St. Lucia's Heritage Sites and Attractions
Cities
- CastriesCastriesCastries , population 10,634, aggl. 37,963 , is the capital city of Saint Lucia, a country in the Caribbean. The district with the same name had a population of 61,341 in 2001-05-22, and stretches over an area of ....
- SoufrièreSoufrière, Saint LuciaSoufrière is a quarter on the Southwest coast of Saint Lucia in the West Indies. Soufrière was the former capital of Saint Lucia during times of French rule. It is now a small sleepy fishing port with an emerging tourism industry...
- Marigot BayMarigot BayMarigot Bay is located on the western coast of the Caribbean island of Saint Lucia, 3.75 miles southwest from Castries and a short distance from the Saint Lucian National Marine Reserve...
- Gros IsletGros IsletGros Islet is a community located near the northern tip of the island country of Saint Lucia. Originally a quiet fishing village, it has gone on to become one of the more popular tourist destinations in the country....
Hotels in Saint Lucia
Smugglers Cove Resort & SpaSandals Resorts
Sandals Resorts
Sandals Resorts is an operator of all-inclusive resorts in the Caribbean and part of Sandals Resorts International , parent company of Sandals Resorts, Beaches Resorts, Grand Pineapple Beach Resorts and The Royal Plantation Collection. Sandals Resorts has a total of 15 couples-only properties,...
Caribbean Style (classification system)
Windjammer Landing
Balenbouche Estate