For the first time ever, the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority is hosting a Global Piton Awards celebration for its top-producing and loyal Saint Lucia Expert (SLEx) travel agents from the U.S., Canada, the UK and Ireland.

The travel advisors will be honored this evening, June 22, with a Global Piton Awards gala evening at Sandals Grande St. Lucian Resort & Spa. The two days leading up to the gala dinner have included a whirlwind of activities, with the U.S. travel advisors, whose accommodations have been hosted by Windjammer Landings and Cap Maison, enjoying a welcome group dinner at Windjammer Landings, a full-day island party and spa day at a private beach at Pigeon Island National Park, and dinner aboard Carnival Sailing’s Queen of Carnival, hosted by The Landings.

This morning, the day began with a delightful breakfast at Tapas on the Bay in Rodney Bay, where the group of global travel agents were serenaded by an adorable chorus made up of primary school children. Welcoming the group of travel advisors was Saint Lucia’s Minister of Tourism, Information, Broadcasting, Culture & Creative Industries Hon. Dominic Fedee. “I want to say a big thank you for your commitment to us,” he told the travel agents, “and how proud we are of your industry and how you’ve remained resilient through all the transformations that have taken place in the industry.” He added that “it’s an exciting time here in Saint Lucia, with a lot of development taking place, including the exciting news of a brand-new airport terminal.”

He reiterated to the group that every booking is important for the island-nation, as “we are tourism dependent. Whenever you make a booking it’s not just a booking—it pays for our children’s education, for infrastructure, for important social services.”

We’ll be reporting on the gala awards dinner and the top-producing agents in a separate story. Once you complete the main Saint Lucia program you can get even more educated on the island’s romance offerings with the Saint Lucia Romance Expert module.