St Lucia is encouraging travelers to visit for six weeks

The Caribbean destination of St Lucia has announced a new program where visitors and remote workers can stay for up to six weeks. The extended stay program is called "Live It," and it's an initiative that places an emphasis on living like a local.

St Lucia is home to the geologic wonder of the photogenic Pitons, which are a World Heritage Site. Nature lovers can hike to jungle-clad waterfalls and explore the forest canopy on land, or dive beneath the calm Caribbean to get up close to St Lucia's marine life.

After filling out a free online form, interested participants are paired with a local tour operator who acts as a personal guide before and during their stay in hotels and villas. They will tailor activities to suit, such as learning local recipes, exploring the rainforests, diving dozens of reefs, hiking the Pitons, or discovering hidden gems that visitors usually can’t find. While in St Lucia, visitors also can work remotely as free wi-fi is offered across the island at hotels, villas and public venues, and many hotels already offer remote work programs, amenities and special perks.

“In a shorter visit, travelers are limited to a few activities, but if they stay for longer they get to roam locally, decompress from a year of lockdowns and also work remotely,” says tourism minister, Hon. Dominic Fedee. “With so many things to explore safely in St Lucia paired with the demand for extended vacations, we created this immersive program so visitors can live like a local, while feeling like a member of the family.”

In keeping with COVID-19 protocols, visitors can choose to stay at up to two of dozens of COVID-certified hotels and private villas. After 14 days, they are free to explore various parts of the island or take residence in a villa or hotel. Visitors interested in extending their experience beyond six weeks may work with their tour operator to apply for an extension of up to one year. Further information on the Live It experience can be found on the website .