Tourism Minister Dr. Ernest Hilaire has denied reports of a Canada travel advisory against Saint Lucia due to the Island's crime.
"Let me be very clear on this one and I want you to actually do the research. There has been no travel advisory," Hilaire told reporters on the margins of Tuesday's House of Assembly meeting.
The Tourism Minister asserted that the opposition was circulating the travel advisory information.
He declared that the United States, the United Kingdom, and all the major countries provide travel advisories for other states worldwide.
"They tell their citizens what to expect when they go to a certain country and they give them advice," Hilaire observed.
He declared that the information on the Canadian government website regarding Saint Lucia was no different from before.
The Tourism Minister stated that Canada has four risk levels for travelers.
"Saint Lucia, like most Caribbean countries, are at the lowest risk," the Castries South MP noted.
In this regard, he told reporters that the Canadian government travel advice for Saint Lucia is for visitors to observe normal safety precautions.
"I think there are only two or three Caribbean countries that have the second level - the Bahamas, Guyana and I think Jamaica," Hilaire observed.
"The Caribbean as a whole is a safe area as recognised by the Canadian government," the Minister stated.
In addition, he said Saint Lucia was in the lowest risk category.
"There has never been a travel advisory against Saint Lucia. Somebody took what is the rating and decided, you know, to circulate and say that Canada has issued a travel advisory against Saint Lucia," the Tourism Minister observed.
He indicated that the fake news was malicious, destructive, and deliberate.
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