You can call it the year of the experiences in St Lucia as the small island is on a roll with a massive, $157 million USD infrastructure development plan which will see a brand-new airport and a 50% increase in room capacity in the next five years. St Lucia recently hit 1.2 million arrivals for the first time in history, and 5 of their hotels were listed the top romantic in the world.

The brand-new airport will feature a new terminal building equipped with state of-the-art facilities, restaurants, shops and executive lounges. The current terminal building will be converted to accommodate fixed-based operators (FBOs).

Acting CEO of the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority, Mrs. Tiffany Howard said, “The airport is our visitor’s first impression of Saint Lucia; what better way to welcome our visitors than with a brand-new state of the art terminal building. Increasing the airports capacity will provide Saint Lucia with the leverage it needs to negotiate more airlift into the island and attract new airlines partners.”

But it’s perhaps another project that is catching attention. The island wants to encourage tourists to live like a local and is launching its Village Tourism project – believed to be the first of its kind in the Caribbean – in May. The Honorable Dominic Fedee told TravelPulse Canada that the plan is to bring locals into the tourism mix while offering tourists another option to vacation in St Lucia.

“We are guilty of neglecting the tourism potential of our villages. So what we have done is we’ve embarked on a major project to bring them into the mix and make them a destination in their own right,” Fedee says. “So rather than just being sleepy fishing villages that tourists would pass by, we’re bringing them into the mix and creating experiences for travellers in traditional St. Lucia houses.”

“We’re saying lets refine these houses, let’s bring out the architecture and make them comfortable to stay in. Let’s show the tourists how to live like a local. “

The project will offer an option for tourists who might not want or can’t afford to stay in the island’s top hotels. Fedee says he’s seen a big transition in hotel stock with many 3.5 or 4 star hotels transitioning into 5 star. New hotel development is tending to be on the high end.

“The project will give tourists a great experience but it also integrates tourists more in to the fabric of the St. Lucia economy. A lot of the owners of these properties are indigenous St. Lucians, who are shifting the dependence away from a foreign investment driven tourism sector to a mixture between locally owned and foreign. It’s absolutely fascinating to be in the government at the time this project is embarking.”

Fedee says more details about the program will be announced shortly, as the legislation is currently being finalized. All owners will be licensed and undergo training to ensure accommodation and services are at the same level as they would be in a hotel.

The St. Lucia Tourism Authority will work with the trade and offer similar incentives and commissions as currently given with traditional hotel bookings.

“We’re seeing a tremendous response from the trades and marketplace. And I think once we unveil some of the first cottages, the world is going to be extremely pleased.” says Fedee.