TORONTO — Andrew Ricketts and the Saint Lucia team were styling last night.

And that was exactly on-message for the big event: Toronto Life’s Best Dressed, a University Club of Toronto soirée that kicked off the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). 

The Saint Lucia Tourism Authority served as official travel sponsor for the opening night party, and guests were transported to Saint Lucia via The Piton Lounge, featuring Saint Lucia-inspired cocktails and tropical decor. The rum punches and pineapple mojitos were flowing.

It was STLA’s first time collaborating with TIFF, but the second go-round collaborating with Toronto Life and HELLO! Canada, as Ricketts told Travelweek. In 2025 STLA took part in the Toronto Life Summer Garden Party at Evergreen Brick Works. “We thought it was such a positive event. So many people attended, and it really reached the demographic we’re trying to target for Saint Lucia, including travellers aged 30-plus, boomers and now millennials as well,” said Ricketts. 

“We saw a lot of value from partnering on the Garden Party, so when they came back to us and said the Best Dressed event was returning for the first time since 2019, and that it would be held at the University Club, we thought it was a great opportunity. It’s an event a lot of people are looking forward to, and the who’s who of Toronto will be here in their best-dressed looks. We saw it as a great way to spotlight Saint Lucia to the consumer market during TIFF weekend, particularly on TIFF’s opening night.”

CANADIAN ARRIVALS UP 20%

Not that Saint Lucia needs any help attracting visitors, but there’s always room for more. Year-to-date Canadian arrivals are up 20%, to 23,908, signalling sustained recovery and stronger outbound demand.

For lift, both Air Canada and WestJet offer service from Toronto. Air Canada is serving the route once a week on Fridays in September and October. WestJet operates once a week on Sundays in September and October. 

Starting this November, Air Canada will increase frequency to 4x weekly and WestJet will increase to 3x weekly. And from December 2026 to to March 2027 Air Canada will operate 5x weekly and WestJet 4x weekly. 

Toraille Waterfall

HOTEL HAPPENINGS 

In hotel news, Canadian-owned Windjammer Landing Resort & Residences recently completed a transformative three-year renovation, to the tune of more than US$40 million. The resort has elevated every aspect of the guest experience, from infrastructure and design to culinary offerings and new service standards, plus there’s the new La Belle Hélène by Windjammer, an ultra-private, 10-bedroom luxury villa. Windjammer Landing recently joined Leading Hotels of the World, the only resort on the island with the designation. 

New property A’ILA Resorts, meanwhile has opened its six-block BlueZone Residences in Rodney Bay. This brings the development to completion two months ahead of its original schedule. The milestone forms part of A’ila’s wider development at Mount Pimard, which is introducing a diverse mix of hospitality, wellness, residential, dining, retail and business tourism offerings to Saint Lucia. The development first welcomed guests in April 2026. Still to come are additional resorts, residences, luxury villas, dining and retail offerings, as well as the 2,000-capacity Zenith Art & Conference Center, expected to strengthen Saint Lucia’s ability to attract major conferences, meetings and events.

Also new, Sapphire Sands Villas by Bay Gardens Resorts is a luxury beachfront villa property on Reduit Beach in Rodney Bay. The development expands the locally-owned Bay Gardens Resorts portfolio into the luxury villa segment, with 27 keys across nine three-bedroom villas, available as one-, two- or three-bedroom configurations. Guests can access facilities across the Bay Gardens collection with ‘Stay at 1, Play at 4.’

Anse Chastanet and the Pitons

CANADA WINTER SHOWCASE 2026

Ricketts is excited about Saint Lucia’s Underwater Sculpture Park, set to become a signature marine attraction. “This is huge for the Caribbean, because Saint Lucia is only the second Caribbean destination to have one, after Grenada. What’s different about ours is that it also incorporates a history lesson, which is really nice,” he said. The underwater park features 200 underwater sculptures across five galleries, telling the story of Saint Lucia’s history, culture and heritage while creating new marine habitats and supporting Saint Lucia’s commitment to sustainable tourism.

Ricketts is also gearing up for the upcoming Canada Winter Showcase 2026. Brand Saint Lucia aims to strengthen Saint Lucia’s presence in the Canadian market by engaging travel trade, media, diaspora and strategic partners to increase destination awareness and demand. From Sept. 20 – 27, Saint Lucia will host a week-long program of coordinated tourism, PR, media, trade, diaspora, investment and export activities across Toronto.

Back on the island, upcoming events include Creole Heritage Month & Jounen Kwéyòl in October, a celebration of Saint Lucia’s French Creole culture, with music, dance, cuisine, art, and cultural showcases culminating in the national Creole Day festivities. The world-famous Saint Lucia Jazz & Arts Festival is scheduled for April 30 – May 10, 2027. And the island’s Lucian Carnival takes place July 1 – 20, 2027.

“THE BORA BORA OF THE CARIBBEAN”

We asked Ricketts, with so many destinations to choose from, why do travellers book Saint Lucia?

“I really think the topography of Saint Lucia is different from any other Caribbean island,” said Ricketts. “The greenery and lushness make it feel like the Bora Bora of the Caribbean. For people looking for a bucket-list trip with amazing scenery, Saint Lucia really stands out.”

He added: “We’re also seeing a lot of travellers following trends online, particularly on TikTok, and recreating itineraries they’ve seen other people experience. It keeps multiplying because people are constantly discovering new things. Even as someone who represents the island, I’ll see waterfalls I haven’t seen before, or different chocolate trails.”

For more information check out stlucia.org.

Lead image caption: Andrew Ricketts and Rommel Waterman at Toronto Life’s Best Dressed party, with the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority as official travel sponsor