Poor Foreign Turnout to Jazz Festival in St Lucia blamed on airlift problem

Scores of Caribbean and North American jazz fans have been unable to obtain flights into St. Lucia for the ten-day annual St Lucia Jazz Festival, which St. Lucia Tourism Director Hilary Modeste has blamed on a lack of adequate air service within and outside of the Caribbean.

With a number of other competing events taking place across the Caribbean such as cricket Test matches, One Day Internationals and concerts, Caribbean nationals were having a tough time moving around with limited services being provided by island-hoppers, LIAT and Caribbean Star, Modeste was quoted as saying by the Caribbean Media Corporation.

It makes us wonder what will happen to intra-regional travel for a major event like the 2007 Cricket world Cup, if we are having difficulty moving persons around for a Jazz event at a time when its not necessary a busy period for air travel, he said.

Modeste said that getting jazz patrons particularly out of Trinidad and

Tobago was quite an ordeal for the St. Lucia Tourist Board with both

regional carriers unable to meet the demand for travel.

Despite the setback, the tourism director reported that all shows since last Friday´s opening have had record turnouts and that tickets were going fast for the remaining and weekend performances at the Pigeon Island National Park.