Community Tourism Agency CEO Daliah Garde says efforts are underway to formalise marine services at Barons Drive, Soufriere, while creating greater opportunities for residents to benefit from the community’s expanding tourism sector.
The initiative brings together boat operators, residents and key agencies to examine safety, service standards and economic opportunities as plans advance to develop a more organised and vibrant waterfront.
Boat operators from Barons Drive recently met at the Soufriere Fisheries Complex with representatives from the Community Tourism Agency (CTA), the Saint Lucia Air and Sea Ports Authority (SLASPA), the Crime Prevention Committee and Soufriere/Fond St Jacques MP Emma Hippolyte.
Garde said the CTA will engage residents to identify and develop tourism ventures capable of generating sustainable economic benefits within the community. “Community tourism will meet with the residents as it pertains to community tourism initiatives and ideas that we can help them develop so they can benefit,” she said.
She explained that SLASPA’s involvement is particularly important as the agencies seek to formalise the marine services already being provided by local operators. “SLASPA is here as it pertains to the development of the Barons Drive Marine Services,” Garde said. “We also want to formalise the services that the boys currently provide on the water. We are talking about services such as provisioning when the yachts and other boats come in.”
Hippolyte said the engagement is intended to ensure that improvements to the waterfront are accompanied by stronger services from residents and local businesses. “We felt that we needed to work with the CTA to assess and help improve what is currently being offered at Barons Drive,” she said. “Look at the shops and try to see how best we can improve the services. Look at the young people who are there and determine how we can work with them so they can improve the services they provide, both on the water and within Barons Drive itself.”
Hippolyte said the various agencies were brought together to assess the existing operations and identify areas requiring improvement. “CTA is helping us with the assessment and has already done some work,” she said. “SLASPA will also assess the quality of the boats, speak with the operators and determine the way forward.”
Safety and professional certification are also central to the initiative, with SLASPA outlining the requirements for boat captains and crew members.
SLASPA Surveyor Peter Joseph explained that completing training with the Marine Unit does not, by itself, provide the licence required to operate commercially. “Both the captain and crew must be certified,” Joseph said.
He noted that while many operators complete a course through the Marine Unit and receive a training certificate, they must take additional steps through SLASPA’s Division of Maritime Affairs. “After completing the training with the Marine Unit, they need to come to the Division of Maritime Affairs at SLASPA, where they will be required to undergo a theory examination and a practical examination,” he said. “Upon successfully passing those examinations, they will be issued a licence based on their proficiencies.”
The initiative forms part of a broader effort to position Barons Drive to play a greater role in Soufriere’s tourism economy by linking improvements to the physical waterfront with higher service standards, safer marine operations and increased opportunities for residents.
The discussions are expected to continue as stakeholders assess the community’s existing tourism offerings and help local operators prepare to benefit from increased activity in the area.
