Saint Lucia celebrated a historic milestone in 2024, registering its highest-ever visitor arrivals across all segments—stayover, cruise, yacht, and sea arrivals. The island welcomed a 14% increase in total arrivals over 2023, surpassing the previous best year of 2019 by 3%, signalling robust growth and full recovery from the pandemic’s impacts.
Remarkably, this achievement came despite a reduction of 500 hotel rooms during key periods of the year. The United States led the charge, contributing 57% of all stayover arrivals with a 20% increase over 2023, driven by targeted marketing efforts, enhanced airlift, and optimised aircraft configurations.
The UK market also posted a 4% growth overcoming competitive challenges, meanwhile, the Caribbean market surged by 17%, bolstered by popular events like Lucian Carnival, The Saint Lucia Jazz & Arts, various cricket hostings, Yamaha Sun Fest, alongside improved regional airlift.
The Canadian market saw a slight 1% decline in stayover arrivals. However, cruise tourism experienced a dramatic 18% increase, welcoming an additional 108,529 passengers compared to 2023. December was a standout month for cruise tourism, with 135,000 passengers arriving on 62 ship calls, contributing to a total of 334 vessel visits in 2024—70 more than the previous year.
This exceptional performance highlights 11 accolades received in 2024 across various niches and cements Saint Lucia’s position as a thriving Caribbean destination poised for continued growth.
