Saint Lucia recently concluded a one-week Trade Sales Mission in Canada, focused on strengthening tourism partnerships, expanding opportunities and further positioning the destination in one of its key source markets.

The delegation engaged with airline and travel partners, the Saint Lucian diaspora and Canadian travel trade media, while participating in the Air Canada Product Launch and the Canada-Caribbean Investment and Trade Summit.

The mission began with an engagement with Sunwing, where discussions focused on airlift, winter travel demand, vacation packages and opportunities to further promote Saint Lucia to Canadian travellers.

The delegation also met with the team at Air Canada Vacations for discussions on Saint Lucia’s presence in the Canadian market. The engagement was joined by Hon. Ernest Hilaire and brought together key members of the Air Canada Vacations team. Discussions explored opportunities for greater collaboration, enhanced destination visibility, co-operative marketing and product development, with the shared goal of connecting more Canadian travellers with Saint Lucia’s tourism experiences.

The mission also included a Diaspora Engagement hosted in collaboration with the Consulate General of Saint Lucia in Toronto, the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority and Invest Saint Lucia. The engagement provided an opportunity to connect with Saint Lucians in Canada, strengthen ties with the diaspora and share updates on ways to remain connected with and support Saint Lucia.

The delegation met with members of the Canadian travel trade media at a special luncheon hosted by the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority and Invest Saint Lucia. The engagement provided an opportunity to share updates on Saint Lucia’s tourism offerings, new developments and investment opportunities, while facilitating discussions on the evolving Canadian travel market.

The luncheon also highlighted the engagements undertaken throughout the Trade Sales Mission, including meetings with airline and travel partners, the diaspora, media and other industry stakeholders. Discussions centred on strengthening air connectivity, expanding trade partnerships and identifying opportunities for co-operative marketing and product development, as Saint Lucia continues to build its presence in the Canadian market.

A key highlight of the mission was Saint Lucia’s participation in the Air Canada Product Launch in Toronto on September 22. The event brought together approximately 1,300 travel advisors and provided a significant platform for destination and hospitality partners to showcase their tourism offerings directly to the Canadian travel trade.

The Trade Sales Mission provided a valuable platform for Saint Lucia to engage key tourism stakeholders, strengthen existing partnerships and identify new opportunities across the Canadian market. Through continued collaboration with airline and travel partners, the diaspora and Canadian media, Saint Lucia remains focused on increasing the destination’s visibility and connecting more Canadian travellers with the island’s tourism experiences.Source: Saint Lucia Tourism Authority