The Saint Lucia Kings’ recent title-winning season is set to have ripple effects in the tourism sector.
This marks the first piece of silverware for the Kings’ Indian-based ownership group and has reportedly generated significant interest in Saint Lucia and among the cricket-obsessed subcontinent.
The group, which includes businessman Mohit Burman and Bollywood actress Preity Zinta, also owns the Indian Premier League franchise, the Punjab Kings.
Since they acquired the franchise in 2021, there have been notable cricketing exchanges between the two nations, with coaches from India coming to Saint Lucia and vice versa.
Now, Minister for Tourism Dr Ernest Hilaire has declared that his ministry intends to leverage this newfound success to create tourism ties between the two countries.
“The success of the Kings is already creating excitement for next year,’ Hilaire said. ‘We now need to think strategically. One of the things we’re thinking about, and we have a meeting in London in November, is for us to meet with some Indian travel agents to see how we can start tapping into the Indian markets, both in North America, as well as in India, because the Saint Lucia Kings are owned by the same [people] that own the Punjab Kings.”
“There was a buzz in India when Saint Lucia won as well. So we need to start seeing how we can leverage this and get even more visitors to come into Saint Lucia. Because remember, every time a visitor comes into Saint Lucia, there’s a certain amount of [spending] that takes place.”
“You talk about car rental, you talk about food and beverage, you talk about souvenirs, you talk about just enjoying Saint Lucia, visiting sites, and attractions. The more people you can get to come into the country and the more you can get them to spend in the country, the better for the economy and better for the creation of employment, government taxes, etc.”
This move aligns with the government’s goal to tap into non-traditional markets and develop the sports tourism subsector.
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