By Anselma Aimable
Caribbean Net News St Lucia Correspondent
Email: anselma@caribbeannetnews.com
CASTRIES, St Lucia: St Lucia Tourist Board (SLTB) officials recently returned from regional travel in support of marketing and promotional efforts for St Lucia Carnival 2007. With the implementation of new policy directives from the Ministry of Tourism, the Tourist Board's role has been expanded to encompass greater involvement in the organisation and execution of carnival events.
The Board has disbursed over $600,000 towards the Carnival Queen Pageant, Carnival Bands Association, Calypso Association and other components of the event. Since the Board's involvement, there has been a more organised and systematic approach to the presentation of the carnival events to the public and in dealing with artistes and other players involved in the activity.
In the first phase of the regional promotion, the Board's officials engaged the media and travel agents in Trinidad, St Vincent, Grenada and Barbados. The second promotion involved the media, travel agents and carnival groups in Martinique, Guadeloupe and Dominica. Several French carnival bands have confirmed their participation in St Lucia's carnival celebrations.
In an effort to draw on the Island's traditional sources of arrivals the Tourist Board is engaged in similar marketing activities in the United States, United Kingdom and Canada.
The Tourist Board has also assisted the Cultural Development Foundation (CDF) in producing the radio and television advertisements that are currently running through the regional media, and the printed material, which has been distributed throughout the travel agencies and tourism entities interested in doing business with St Lucia.
Regional and International media coverage of the events will be hosted by the Board.
Carnival activities will climax on July 17, 2007 with the parade of the bands in the streets of Castries. |
