Hilaire notes that the fire is an immovable aspect of Saint Lucian history and could add a new dimension to the tourism product currently offered in Saint Lucia.

“So there is going to be a Three Martyrs Shrine, a shrine erected with a narrative, a story about what happened and the importance of it to the Catholic faith. It will be an opportunity for persons to come and visit the church, in addition to what you traditionally would do in a church, to get an opportunity,” he explained.

The Minister says this move is in keeping with other religious tourism sites across the globe.

“Now for those of you who may have travelled to other parts of the world and have seen some of those experiences, it is quite a rewarding experience from the perspective of spirituality, but also in terms of its tourism component to be able to attract visitors.”

Some of the religious places such as Mecca in Saudi Arabia, Fatima in Portugal, and Lourdes in France attract millions of religious tourists, charity workers, missionaries and humanitarians creating a huge financial transaction in the destination.

In terms of Saint Lucia, Hilaire says it improves the appeal of Castries as a tourist destination. He says this forms part of larger plans to develop the City.

“For us, it enhances the reputation of Castries as a city and as a destination, that visitors who come into this country, there will be more to see in Castries. There's a lot of work to be done in Castries and upgrading Castries and this certainly will add to it,” he said.

Hilaire says an update to the public will be provided in due course.