The Caribbean island welcomed just over 32,000 tourists in March, which was 21% higher than the destination’s forecast for the month.

So far this year, Saint Lucia has recorded around 81,000 international arrivals, which the tourist authority described as a “strong start” to 2022.

The UK has been particularly strong with 24,500 arrivals in the first quarter of the year, representing 30% of all holidaymakers to the island – the highest share ever recorded for the UK market to the destination. The UK is the second largest inbound market after the US.

Saint Lucia is one of the best-performing destinations in the Caribbean with the overall region also recovering more quickly than other parts of the world – the Caribbean’s tourism market is now at 61.5% of 2019 levels, compared with a global average recovery rate of 33%.

Lorine Charles-St. Jules, chief executive of Saint Lucia Tourism Authority, said it would be running a targeted marketing campaign for the summer months to “keep the momentum going”.

“The revitalisation of Lucian Carnival is one of our priority events this year and we will continue to promote our strong niche offerings such as romance, diving, accommodations and adventure with some exciting plans for the rest of the year,” she added.

Saint Lucia has recently eased its entry requirements with fully vaccinated visitors no longer needing to take any pre-entry Covid-19 test, while the online registration process has been removed for all travellers.

Tourism minister Ernest Hilaire added: “The numbers are really encouraging and a testament to the people who work tirelessly in the tourism industry in Saint Lucia.

“Our aim is to ensure that the growth trajectory is sustainable and benefits our people through employment and income generation as well as providing the best experience for our visitors.”