by Brian Major
Last updated: 3:30 PM ET, Tue February 28, 2023
Beginning Wednesday, March 1, Saint Lucia will introduce an online Embarkation/Disembarkation (ED) form government officials say will enable "even more seamless" electronic processing of travelers.
The new ED form is part of a government initiative to digitize Saint Lucia's public sector services "for the continued improvement of the island's operational competencies and simplicity of conducting business," officials said in a statement.
Applicable exclusively to air travel, the electronic ED Form will "significantly reduce the processing time of arriving passengers," officials said. The online document replaces a written form, which will be phased out officially on April 12.
Travelers boarding Saint Lucia-bound flights will not be required to complete the new electronic form. However, visitors who do complete the digital form will experience "swift processing" upon arrival, said officials.
Travelers who have not completed an electronic form upon arrival will be required to fill out a written form at the airport. The online ED form provides real-time information to Immigration, Customs and Port Health," officials said.
The system has been "comprehensively tested" at Saint Lucia's Hewanorra International Airport and George F.L. Charles Airport, with "overwhelmingly positive" feedback from agency officials.
Users can go to the Saint Lucia website and follow the instructions to complete an electronic immigration form prior to departure. Travelers will receive a QR code via email, which they should present with other travel documents at the airport.
In another development, Saint Lucia Tourism Authority (SLTA) officials said regional carrier interCaribbean Airways will increase its departures between Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent to thrice weekly beginning March 12.
In addition, interCaribbean's Saint Lucia flights from Dominica will increase from five to six days a week. Also, interCaribbean will provide "more daily scheduled flights" between Saint Lucia and Barbados, said SLTA officials.
"This partnership will help us increase inter-regional travel and welcome more visitors to Saint Lucia throughout the year," said Dr. Ernest Hilaire, Saint Lucia's minister for tourism, investment, creative industries, culture and information. "We look forward to continuing to work with [SLTA] as we strive to meet the demands of regional travel", said Trevor Sadler, interCaribbean's CEO.
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