(TAN): Stayover visitors to Saint Lucia will be required to pay an accommodation fee from April this year, reports said.
While guests will have to shell out USD 3 and USD 6 on a nightly basis for accommodation priced below or above USD 120 per night, those opting for sharing platforms such as Vrbo and Airbnb will be required to pay 7% on the total cost of their stay, as per reports.
The Saint Lucia Tourism Authority (SLTA) is reportedly developing a system which will enable accommodation providers, international tour operators and booking websites to easily remit the collected fees to the government through the authority.
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The levy will be used to finance the government’s destination marketing activities that the tourism authority has taken up to promote Saint Lucia’s tourism product across the globe, especially in key markets such as the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and Europe, reports said.
According to reports, the tourism accommodation fee, one of the lowest in the world, will also be used to sustain village tourism development, destination management and development of the local product.
Tourism Minister Dominic Fedee reportedly said destination marketing is useful for everyone involved in the sector, from accommodation providers, airlines, tour operators, and travel agents to ground handlers, sites and attractions.
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“It’s always a challenge for small countries to allocate much needed resources towards tourism marketing. The accommodation fee allows tourism to pay for itself, as the tax will be levied to tourist to the island. It frees up much needed funds for healthcare, education and national security,” he was quoted by Travel Weekly as saying.
Reports said the SLTA will introduce the tax after the government’s consultation with the stakeholders.
The Eastern Caribbean island nation of Saint Lucia, home to volcanic beaches, reef-diving sites and fishing villages, hosted a total of 423,736 stayover visitors in 2019, the highest in its history, reports said. According to reports, increase in airlift especially from the United States market contributed to much of the growth, accounting for 45% or nearly 191,0000 of total stayover tourist arrivals during the year.
