A high-profile new tourism and sports partnership between the Caribbean island nation of Saint Lucia and English Premier League champions Arsenal Football Club has drawn public scrutiny over undisclosed financial terms, with the country’s top tourism official pushing back against critics while defending the confidentiality of the deal. Deputy Prime Minister and Tourism Minister Dr. Ernest Hilaire laid out the government’s reasoning for keeping full cost details private during a pre-Cabinet media briefing held on Monday, June 22, confirming he would present a fuller breakdown of the agreement to the country’s House of Assembly the following day.
Hilaire dismissed circulating media reports that put the total price tag of the destination partnership between £20 million and £40 million, declining to confirm or deny the leaked figures outright. He explained that keeping commercial terms confidential is standard practice for government agreements, a necessary step to safeguard Saint Lucia’s bargaining power in future negotiations with international investors and partners. “People elect governments to make informed decisions on their behalf, acting in their best interests, so it is unreasonable to expect every single detail of every agreement to be released to the public,” Hilaire argued. He added that disclosing full financial terms for all public-private deals would deter private developers, foreign entities, other governments and potential business partners from working with the island nation, as parties to future agreements would be unwilling to share sensitive commercial information.
Funding for the Arsenal partnership will come from the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority, following the same financial framework the government has used for other sports tourism initiatives, including the Saint Lucia Kings cricket franchise and regional West Indies Cricket projects. Hilaire framed the agreement as a visionary long-term investment for the island, drawing a parallel to the early public opposition that greeted the construction of the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground more than 20 years ago, when he served as Permanent Secretary for the Department of Sports. Today, that venue has hosted multiple ICC Cricket World Cup matches and become a cornerstone of growing cricket development across the country.
The overarching goal of the partnership is to elevate Saint Lucia’s global profile as a top-tier tourism destination and attractive hub for international investment. Hilaire emphasized that even the early networking generated by the new Arsenal relationship has already delivered extraordinary value, pointing to his recent attendance at the Adidas-hosted Arsenal partners summit in Munich, where the island secured the right to host the next summit. Hosting the event will bring 35 of the world’s largest multinational companies to Saint Lucia for three days of meetings and collaboration, a boost to local tourism and business exposure that cannot be understated.
Arsenal is controlled by American billionaire Stan Kroenke, whose sports and entertainment empire also includes the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams, NBA’s Denver Nuggets, NHL’s Colorado Avalanche, and MLS’s Colorado Rapids. Hilaire noted that the Kroenke Group has a proven track record of successful, sustainable business models that deliver returns for partners. Beyond global marketing and tourism gains, the partnership will deliver direct, tangible benefits for Caribbean football development: Saint Lucia will host a regional academy hub for young players from across the Caribbean. Additionally, a Saint Lucian women’s club side will compete in the Let Her Inspire You Cup in London, and Saint Lucian national teams will gain access to Arsenal’s elite training facility to prepare for regional and international tournaments.
After conducting a full internal review, detailed return on investment calculations and independent feasibility studies, the current administration is confident the partnership with Arsenal — one of the top 10 most valuable and widely supported football clubs in the world — will deliver substantial economic and social benefits for Saint Lucia for years to come.