Saint Lucia sent a powerful message to the world at Expo 2025 Osaka on Friday, as Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Ernest Hilaire and Sunita Daniel, Chief Executive Officer of Export Saint Lucia, highlighted the island’s achievements, international partnerships, and growing economic opportunities.
Addressing a packed press conference ahead of Saint Lucia’s National Day celebrations, Dr. Hilaire touted the island’s remarkable recovery in tourism since the COVID-19 pandemic, noting strong arrivals from the United States and encouraging signs of growth from Asia.
“We’ve seen a constant increase in arrivals, particularly from the United States since COVID, and now we’re also recording growth from China and other parts of Asia,” he said. “Yes, distance presents a challenge, but we are encouraged that more visitors are making the journey from far markets like Japan.”
Dr. Hilaire also hailed the long-standing partnership between Saint Lucia and Japan, describing Japan as “an integral development partner” that has provided vital infrastructure support, capacity building, and volunteer exchange programmes since Saint Lucia’s independence.
“We are very proud of this relationship and grateful for the outstanding contributions of Japan,” he said. “It is always inspiring to meet Japanese volunteers in Saint Lucia who embrace our culture so deeply that some even speak French. It shows the depth of people-to-people exchange we’ve built over the years.”
On the global stage, Dr. Hilaire pointed to sports and sports tourism as defining features of Saint Lucian identity.
“The Caribbean is known for sprinting excellence, and Saint Lucia is no exception. We are proud of Julien Alfred, from my own constituency, who is already an Olympic champion and is poised to dominate the World Championships in the coming weeks.”
He added that Saint Lucia, once recognized primarily as the Caribbean’s romance capital, is now also emerging as a hub for sports and adventure tourism.
Alongside tourism, Export Saint Lucia’s CEO Sunita Daniel showcased the island’s broader economic agenda, emphasizing the country’s readiness to expand trade, investment, and cultural exports.
She noted that Saint Lucia’s offerings extend far beyond travel, pointing to the island’s growing exports in sea moss, premium rums, chocolates, pepper sauces, condiments, and the work of its creatives, all of which are gaining international recognition.
“Japan is a major market for seaweed, and Saint Lucia is proud to be one of the leading exporters of sea moss, a superfood with 92 of the 102 nutrients the body requires,” Daniel explained.
CEO Daniel also invited Expo attendees to Saint Lucia’s upcoming cultural and business events, including a business forum, fashion show, and the highly anticipated “Rhythms of Iyanola” concert, which will bring the island’s music, dance, and stilt-walking traditions to Osaka’s National Day Hall on Saturday evening.
According to her, the aim was clear: to present Saint Lucia not just as a premier tourism destination, but as a dynamic hub of creativity, commerce, and cultural exchange.
“Saint Lucia may be a small island, but we have an outsized influence on the world stage,” Daniel said. “We bring together world-class tourism, sporting excellence, and cultural vibrancy, while driving forward a clear vision for export growth and international partnerships.”
