Export Saint Lucia is pushing back against criticism surrounding the island’s participation in Expo Osaka 2025, emphasizing that the event offers long-term benefits for trade, investment, tourism, and cultural exposure. At a press conference on Wednesday, Glenfield Gilbert, Director of Client Management at Export Saint Lucia, addressed concerns about costs, logistics, and representation, clarifying the agency’s objectives and setting the record straight.
“Expo Osaka is not just about showing off our sea moss, rum, condiments, or fashion,” Gilbert explained. “It’s about building partnerships that open doors in trade, tourism, and investment. The opportunities extend far beyond Japan.” According to Gilbert, the expo has already generated valuable leads in value-added agriculture, manufacturing, and shipping, with Export Saint Lucia exploring potential trade routes to Asia. These connections are expected to create sustainable export markets for products like breadfruit and mango-based goods, making the country more competitive on a global scale.
Gilbert addressed speculation about expenses, noting that both the Government of Japan and Export Saint Lucia contributed significantly to the initiative. Airfare costs ranged between US$2,000 and US$4,000 depending on travel routes, with Expo Osaka covering accommodation and ground transportation. Export Saint Lucia funded travel and lodging for an additional 15 creatives, ensuring that Saint Lucia’s cultural delegation was strongly represented. “These funds were allocated specifically for initiatives like this,” Gilbert stressed, adding that despite the grueling flights, jet lag, and immediate rehearsals, the delegation made a powerful impact on international audiences.
Saint Lucia’s 30-member creative delegation included dancers, drummers, stilt walkers, calypso and soca performers, a violinist, and production staff, delivering a world-class performance that won the hearts of thousands. “Our performers made Saint Lucia proud,” Gilbert said. “It’s unfortunate that so much debate has centered on costs instead of celebrating their excellence.” The island’s pavilion has already welcomed over one million visitors, exposing audiences to Saint Lucia’s Pitons, Nobel Laureates, Olympic star Julian Alfred, and locally produced goods while enhancing global awareness of the country’s culture and products.
Gilbert highlighted past successes at global expos as evidence of the value of such investments. At Expo 2022 Dubai, sun-dried sea moss sold out, generating repeat export orders, while local musicians secured international carnival bookings and a Saint Lucian fashion house earned a feature at New York Fashion Week 2023. He expressed confidence that Expo Osaka will deliver similar results by expanding trade opportunities and boosting the island’s creative industries.
He also underscored the strategic value of participating in world expos, which elevate Brand Saint Lucia, build long-term partnerships, and strengthen the island’s positioning across multiple industries. Saint Lucia’s participation was a collaborative effort involving government ministers responsible for culture, tourism, investment, commerce, and manufacturing, along with representatives from the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority, Invest Saint Lucia, and the Citizenship by Investment Unit, who self-financed their travel and co-hosted an investment forum targeting Japanese investors.
“Every dollar spent is an investment in a more visible and competitive Saint Lucia,” Gilbert affirmed. From Expo Shanghai 2010 to Expo Dubai 2022 and now Expo Osaka 2025, Saint Lucia has used world expos to strengthen its global presence, attract investment, secure export opportunities, and showcase its creative talent to international audiences. The island has already confirmed its participation in Expo Belgrade 2027, continuing its mission to build lasting economic and cultural impact on the world stage.
