The Saint Lucia Tourist Board has appointed Patricia Charlery-Leon to lead operations in the UK.

She started the role on 1 June 2017 and her immediate focus is to engage with trade partners to help support their efforts in generating awareness, desirability and demand for Saint Lucia.

Charlery-Leon initially set up the tourist board office in the UK where she spent 12 years. Under her tenure, the tourist board says Saint Lucia went from being a little-known Caribbean island to a destination with high awareness, with UK arrivals increasing by 40%.

Her remit is to grow visitor arrivals from the UK and Ireland, as well as strengthen Saint Lucia’s trade and consumer relationships, through the greater promotion of the island’s niche products.

Agnes Francis, executive chairperson of the Saint Lucia Tourist Board said: “Patricia will bring a level of expertise and certainty to Saint Lucia, which we hope will make it easier for collaboration and communication.”