The St Lucia Tourist Board is revelling in new numbers that show dramatic growth in the island nation's tourism industry through the first seven months of 2014. The numbers show that public and private sector initiatives are accomplishing the country's goals of making St Lucia a very attractive Caribbean tourist destination for both Europeans and Americans.

As good as the numbers are, there are some who believe St Lucia could do even better by embracing the idea of cannabis tourism. In fact, the Cannabis Movement of St Lucia is urging the country's government to embrace cannabis tourism sooner, rather than later. It cites the fact that other Caribbean nations have already started working on it. It also says that the nation needs to do it in order to keep up with two US states that have already legalised recreational cannabis use. The US is the number one provider of arrivals to St Lucia.

Better Performance

So far this year, St Lucia has welcomed 208,117 overnight tourists with at least one night's stay booked at an island resort or hotel. That's a 7% increase over the same period last year, totalling more than 13,000 visitors. The numbers have increased every month so far this year, while records were broken in February, March, April, and June.

Officials say that much of the increase has to do with expanding markets in the UK and US. The two countries form the basis of St Lucia tourism, providing 8% and 14% of the arrivals respectively. Tourism officials have been aggressively pursuing both markets to take advantage of slowly improving economies.

Another contributing factor is the expansion of transportation options including flights and yachting. Creating more ways for people to get to the island is making transportation easier and more affordable.

The Cannabis Question

The question of whether or not to embrace cannabis tourism comes down to St Lucia's fiscal circumstances. Those who want to see it become reality say it could open up a completely new tourist avenue that would solve St Lucia's economic problems. They do not cite any data for such conclusions, except marijuana related tax revenues in the US states of California and Colorado. Proponents of cannabis tourism believe that embracing it could bring tens of millions of pounds into St Lucia annually.

Cannabis tourism aside, St Lucia is an incredible Caribbean destination that offers you warm weather, beautiful sunshine and plenty to see and do. The island is home to the world's only drive-in volcano and some spectacular waters known the world over by divers. Moreover, there is plenty of white sand to go around.

We can help you arrange your St Lucia luxury holidays if you are looking to go to the Caribbean. We offer affordable packages that can accommodate any budget. As a London-based tour operator, we specialise in putting together all-inclusive packages in St Lucia and other parts of the Caribbean, as well as the Indian Ocean, Mediterranean, Asia, Africa and the Middle East.