CASTRIES — The major overhaul of Saint Lucia’s international airport will get underway very soon, says the tourism board, with a vote by the Parliament of Saint Lucia to borrow US$100 million for the Hewanorra International Airport redevelopment project.

The plan, which is expected to be unveiled in the coming days, will include the construction of a new terminal building equipped with new facilities, restaurants, shops and executive lounges, and the conversion of the old terminal to accommodate fixed-based operators (FBOs).

The Saint Lucia Tourism Authority (SLTA) says the development will provide an added incentive for airlines to open up new routes to the destination.

“We have exhausted the current capacity of the Hewanorra International Airport, and the redevelopment project is part of our government’s broader plan to expand the island’s room stock by 50 percent in the next eight years,” says Saint Lucia’s Tourism Minister, Honourable Dominic Fedee.

Currently Saint Lucia has a room stock of just over 5,000 rooms spread across large and small hotels, villas, guest houses and apartments.

Acting CEO of the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority, Mrs. Tiffany Howard says: “This is a welcome development and great news for the tourism industry. The SLTA continues to negotiate for more airlift into the island and having a new, modern airport to leverage with airline partners is a huge asset.”

Currently Saint Lucia welcomes close to 400,000 stayover visitors every year, with the largest number coming from the U.S. market (45%), followed by the Caribbean (20%), the UK (18.5%) and Canada (10.5%). Tourism accounts for 65% of the island’s economic activity.

Last year the government instituted a US$35 airport development charge (ADC) on each arrival to finance the US$100 million loan from the Taiwanese government. The Taiwanese are also providing technical support on the project.

Construction of the new airport is slated to begin early in 2019 with the goal of having the facility fully operational by the end of 2020.