Saint Lucia Adds Daily Gatwick Flights and New Underwater Park This Winter

Saint Lucia's first on-island international travel showcase closed on 20 September 2026 after six days at Royalton Saint Lucia, spotlighting new air capacity from the UK, a new dive attraction and recently opened resorts. The Saint Lucia Tourism Authority (SLTA) said the event replaced a trade showcase it had staged in the UK or North America for more than a decade.

Key facts

• British Airways starts daily non-stop London Gatwick–Saint Lucia flights on 25 October, adding 51,000 seats.
• Below Saint Lucia, a dive-only underwater sculpture park off the southwest coast, opens this winter.
• The Saint Lucia Showcase International ran 15–20 September 2026 at Royalton Saint Lucia.
• Delegates came from the UK, US, Canada, Europe, the Caribbean and, for the first time, Latin America.
• Year-to-date arrivals were up 6% to July, cruise arrivals up 15% and yachting up 67%.

What new flights are launching?

British Airways' daily non-stop service between London Gatwick and Saint Lucia takes off on 25 October. The airline is adding 51,000 seats on the route, which the SLTA said will have dedicated daily status for the first time.

What new attractions and hotels are opening?

The showcase's opening morning included the launch of Below Saint Lucia, an underwater sculpture park off the island's southwest coast. Permanent Secretary Donalyn Vittet described it as the largest public sector tourism investment the island has made since 2010, running into multiple millions of US dollars.

The park is dive-only and opens this winter. A second, snorkel-accessible 'culture park' and a third heritage-focused site, designed as an underwater dive school, are still in development; no opening dates were given.

Delegates also saw newer accommodation, including Sapphire Sands, a villa-style boutique resort that recently opened on Reduit Beach, and A'ila Resorts' expanding wellness offering, with the Bluezone Club Residences and TheLifeCo St Lucia. The itinerary included a city tour of Castries and a visit to the Transit Home, a residential support programme for children and young people.

Why did the showcase move to Saint Lucia?

SLTA chief executive Louis Lewis said the move followed a strong response to last year's UK showcase, where the destination first presented its community tourism strategy. "We made the decision that we should have showcase in Saint Lucia," he told delegates at the opening ceremony, so market participants could experience the product directly. Lewis said the timing was deliberate, coinciding with new room stock coming online and the recent formal establishment of the Community Tourism Agency.

What else did officials report?

Tourism minister Dr Ernest Hilaire said in his closing address that year-to-date arrivals were up 6% to July, cruise arrivals up 15% and yachting up 67%. He said the UK market overall was levelling out and fluctuating, although July itself was up 4%.

The week also highlighted sports tie-ups aimed at UK visibility. Arsenal's head of partnership strategy and commercial ventures, Andy Sheridan, presented the club's destination partnership with Saint Lucia, first announced in June ahead of the 2026/27 season, with branding now appearing pitch side at Emirates Stadium and plans extending into academy exchanges and legends content. A second UK partnership, with Saracens rugby club, was announced weeks before the showcase — Saint Lucia's first with a rugby team.

What this means for travellers

Travellers from the UK gain a daily non-stop Gatwick option from 25 October, while divers can look for the Below Saint Lucia sculpture park when it opens this winter. Anyone considering a stay at newly opened properties such as Sapphire Sands can note that these were presented as recent or expanding additions to the island's accommodation.

Two further underwater sites remain in development, and no opening dates have been announced for them.