St. Lucia showcases tourism growth, new developments at Toronto garden party

Nearly 600 local Toronto tastemakers, media and Canadian authors converged at Toronto’s Evergreen Brick Works to celebrate the St. Lucia Tourism Authority (SLTA), Toronto Life magazine and Penguin Random House Canada books for the summer garden party of the season.

The lush green walls, floral installations and spacious converted industrial trappings of the Brick Works at the base of the Don Valley provided just the right backdrop to inspire a romantic St. Lucian adventure. 

Guests sampled food at multiple stations from local restaurants like Mamakas and Khazana, cooled off with Chairman’s Reserve rum cocktails and not even a short-lived—almost tropical—storm could stop the fun. 

Canadian arrivals rebound

St. Lucia has always been a destination for Canadians, especially for honeymooners and adventure travellers with interests in sustainability. 

The island reached an all-time high of 40,000 Canadian visitor arrivals in 2019, and while there was a drop during the pandemic, they are slowly but steadily making their way back to the peak with 35,000 visitor arrivals in 2024. 

Canadians made up 8.41% of St. Lucia’s tourist market in 2024. 

In 2024, the island welcomed 435,659 stay-over arrivals, a 14% increase over 2023, representing 54,000 more visitors than the previous year.

The momentum has continued into 2025, with more than 41,000 stay-over visitors so far this year.

“Toronto, and Montreal, are our source hubs so we really want to promote alternatives for Canadians looking to elsewhere than the US,” said Andrew Ricketts, CEO of Total Public Relations. 

“It’s a huge thing. People are looking for other places than the typical sun destinations like Florida or Arizona, taking direct flights from WestJet or Air Canada.”

Air Canada is currently operating on a twice a week summer schedule until November, and ramp up in December, flying out five times a week from Pearson.  

Starting October 26, WestJet will be offering flights three times a week (Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday) through the end of April. 

New developments and Canadian connections

Part of the St. Lucian charm is that no two properties are alike, thanks to a focus on boutique accommodations. 

Canadians can put their dollars towards Canadian and Canada-affiliated such as Jade Mountain, a 600-acre beachfront resort; Stonefield Villa Resort, which was designed with input from Canadian architects; and Blue Diamond’s all-inclusive Royalton Resort.

Just a five-minute drive away is the Cabot St. Lucia golf resort (an off shoot of the legendary Cabot Cliffs golf course in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia) that has just opened on 65 acres of land on the island’s northern peninsula, with 12 accompanying villas to come in 2026.

Other new developments in St. Lucia include the newly opened adults-only Secrets St. Lucia Resort & Spa with 355 luxury rooms and the A’ILA development at Mount Pimard, a US$1.3 billion project—the largest in the island’s tourism history. 

Local brand Bay Gardens Resorts is also developing Sapphire Sands Villas, an exclusive beachfront collection with 24/7 butler service, set to open in December 2025.

Training and rewards for advisors

Travel advisors can take advantage of the SLEx (or St. Lucia Expert) program that allows travel partners to become certified in terms of selling St. Lucia. 

The online platform provides resources and tools to help agents effectively sell St. Lucia as a destination— particularly in areas like dive, romance and family travel—offering a substantial training and reward system. 

“If you sell a number of room nights in a calendar year then you are eligible for the top Global Piton Award that rewards global travel advisors with hands on experiences,” said Geraine Georges, public relations manager for the STLA.

Sustainability and community tourism

The island, recently dubbed the ‘green hot’ of the Caribbean has become known for their commitment to sustainability.   

“We put emphasis onto our environmental offerings, working closely with community tourism agencies,” said Georges. 

“Our community tourism agencies have been developed so that St. Lucians can own, earn and prosper from tourism. It’s a policy direction to ensure that St. Lucians aren’t just serving in tourism but owning. It’s an opportunity to get them out of the accommodation spaces and into the communities, and it gives people a chance to feel the pulse of the community from within the community.” 

Visitors can take “earth tours” that incorporate pottery classes, basket-weaving and other crafts. 

There’s an aquatic, kayak-based tour that incorporates tours of women-run sea moss (a seaweed super food with 92 nutrients) harvesting facilities. 

Adrenaline junkies can also take an Eastern Exotic ATV tour that goes off-road into untamed jungles and soaring coastal mountain sides. 

Cultural travellers can join an Irie Valley tour through the Mabuya Valley, where they can experience authentic village life by helping make cassava flour or learning traditional folk dances.

“St. Lucia is about the warmth and hospitality of the people. You have so much to do. Even maritime offerings like sailing, jet skiing, relaxing on the beach with a piña colada, take a sunset cruise,” said Georges.  

“The weather is warm and summery year round so you can feel welcome, enjoy the beach, go on a romantic date, come for the St. Lucia Jazz Festival in May, Carnival in July or take in a Friday Night Street Party in Gross Islet every week, except for Easter Friday.”

Don't miss a single travel story: subscribe to PAX today!  Click here to follow PAX on Facebook.