It is with this scenario as the backdrop that I first came to learn of the community of Fond Gens Libre in Soufriere, Saint Lucia, having been invited to assist the community in developing a tourism product par excellence. Fond Gens Libre (translating to – Valley of the Free People), is home to descendants of the island’s freedom fighters or Maroons. A significant percentage of the community’s residents earn a living as tour guides, leading visitors up the island’s world-famous Pitons. Fond Gens Libre lies at the base of the Gros Piton, the taller of Saint Lucia’s celebrated twin peaks and serves as the gateway to the ascent, hence the business model. In 2004, UNESCO inscribed the area on the World Heritage List as The Pitons Management Area World Heritage Site in recognition of its geological significance and its superlative natural beauty.