Welcome to St Lucia, whether you are here only for the day and just finding time to visit one or more of the Island’s numerous breath-taking beauty spots or visual attractions or indeed here for a vacation – one thing is certain you will want to return for more! There is very good reason why Oprah Winfrey speaks so highly of this pearl of an island, it is beautiful and inhabited by the friendliest of people.

St. Lucia is clearly “Now”. Visitors are arriving in huge numbers, new construction projects are springing up, striving to satisfy a growing need and behind the scenes the Government is burning the midnight oil ensuring that St. Lucia reaches it true place in the Caribbean hierarchy. Allen Chastanet, the Minister of Tourism, is travelling far and wide cajoling airlines, tour and shipping companies alike to add St. Lucia to their destinations of choice or for those who have already seen the light, to increase the numbers of their ships, planes or packages. One area that has seen a set back has been in the field of inter island travel, the recent merger of Liat and Caribbean Star Airlines, might have been financially beneficial, but visitors have seen a large diminution in the availability of seats and where they are available - a much increased price, only proving the well established adage that a monopoly never serves the customer well. Let’s hope we see some competition back into this arena soon.

I mentioned Oprah earlier, but the British have their celebrities too and Carol Vorderman, one of the UK’s best loved and trusted TV stars has also accidentally fallen in love with the Island during her first visit. She was so taken that she bought two properties, one for personal use at the Landings and one as an investment at Ocean Breeze. She like many before is set to return regularly.

Buying property in St. Lucia has never been easier, the choices are many and varied both in price and location. Mortgages are available: an army of lawyers are at hand to ensure safe and easy title and all that is really required is for the Government to review the burdensome legislation surrounding the unwieldy “Alien’s Licence”. One would feel justified in saying that it is ‘as easy as falling off a log’.

The Editor