St Lucia: Forging ahead in Sports Tourism

Tue, May 20, '03

Blessed with diversity as well as richness of product and culture, the Caribbean governments have often been accused by private sector interests of not being innovative in promoting its destinations to potential travellers.

St Lucia is setting itself apart from being lumped in that category by pursuing promotional avenues far different from the traditional sun-sea-sand attraction widely associated with mass tourism. Already, its? annual Jazz Festival, which celebrated its 12th anniversary this year, is arguably the most popular of its kind in the Caribbean, drawing jazz lovers from all corners of the globe to fill the troughs that follow the peaks in the tourist arrivals calendar. Recently, St Lucia has turned its attention to the still untapped, and very viable, niche market area of Sports Tourism, focussing in the first instance on cricket.

According to sports journalist and administrator, Joseph ?Reds? Perreira, the St Lucia government decided not to pump more resources into developing the often rain-affected Mindoo Phillip Park, and turned down a four-day match during the lucrative 1994 England tour of the West Indies. Instead the government preferred to throw its commitment behind the construction of a new stadium. After keeping that commitment, the impressive stadium at Beausejour in Gros Islet was added to the international cricket venue circuit in the region, playing host to India vs a Busta XI in April 2002, and then to the 2nd and 3rd ODI?s during the New Zealand tour in June 2002.

Sporting ventures can benefit from the involvement and collaboration of all stakeholders. While not interfering in the cricketing aspects of those tours, the role of the St Lucia government, through its Tourist Board, was crucial in showcasing the country?s ability to successfully host an international sporting event. They ensured that the players were very comfortable, and that the dressing rooms were fitted with all the comforts required by professional sportsmen. The Indian tour itinerary even included a catamaran cruise to the delight of the players. The press was well looked after, with all the technical aspects put in place to allow journalists to properly cover the matches. ?The general report was that the players, both sides, New Zealand and the West Indies, were very very impressed with the way how they were treated,? noted Mr Perreira. This is testimony to the advantages to creating synergies and partnerships in organising sporting events.

Events such as Test matches and One Day Internationals require adequate promotion to ensure healthy gate receipts, and the St Lucia Tourist Board spared no expense to promote the 2002 tour matches. This year during the advertising and promotion campaign for the St Lucia Jazz Festival held in early May, the Tourist Board used this platform to attract sporting fans to the 3rd ODI between Australia and the West Indies to be held on Wednesday 21 May. The Beausejour ground will host its first ever test match from 20 ? 24 June where the Sri Lankans play the first of two test matches, making it the 8th test playing ground in the Caribbean. The St Lucia Tourist Board has also heavily promoted this historic event.

Not content with its efforts so far, Mr Perreira outlined the St Lucia government?s latest initiative which took place during the just concluded 1st and 2nd ODI between Australia and the West Indies in Kingston, Jamaica. ?The idea to go one step better, or one step higher came out of a meeting with the Tourist Board, where after Jazz they were looking at cricket, and I think the initiative was by the Chairman Desmond Skeete and the Director Mr Hilary Modeste. The initial idea was for the Immigration Officer to come down [to Kingston] and it then evolved where, it might be better, since I wasn?t working as a broadcaster, that I should accompany him and just support the whole process?.

This initiative involved immigration pre-clearance in Jamaica of the players and management, television crew (TWI), international press, West Indian press, match referees, umpires and the selectors. ?So Mr Windy Charles, a 32- year old St Lucian Immigration Officer, who also likes cricket, did a delightful job and I think the exercise was well worth the expense and the effort of coming. The general response was, people thought it was innovative and it will unmistakably minimize the long wait and queuing up at the airport in St Lucia,? said Mr Perreira.

This year, the St Lucia Tourist Board is supporting the St Lucia Golf & Country Club?s Sir Vivian Richards Golf Day at their course at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday 20 May. The event has attracted sponsorship from Carib Beer. Playing alongside 40 ? 50 golfers from the St Lucian community in a Scrambles event over 18 holes will be, just to name a few, Sir Vivian Richards, Gordon Greenidge, David Hookes, Jeff Thomson, Ian Bishop, Mark Waugh, Ricky Ponting, Jimmy Maher, Trevor Horns (the Australian selector on tour), Brett Lee and Courtney Walsh. Mr Perreira added that Brett Lee and Courtney Walsh ?say they both have no handicap, they?re coming to have fun?. The West Indies skipper Brian Lara, a keen golfer, will unfortunately have to miss this event as the team has scheduled an afternoon practice session on Tuesday.

Whether on the cricket pitch or on the golf course, St Lucia is forging ahead with innovative and appealing ways to showcase the beauty of its island to sporting enthusiasts, with a view to increasing visitor arrivals in the traditionally sluggish months that follow the winter tourist season. Future plans include developing a beach volleyball event, to take advantage of the abundantly occurring natural resources required for that sport, which is growing in popularity in regions such as North and South America. According to Mr Perreira ?sports and tourism, it?s very much a marriage?.