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Doing business & staying in touch

Lightweight suits are recommended for business meetings. The best times to visit are January to March and June to September. Much of the island's business is connected to France.

Office hours: 

Mon-Fri 0800-1200 and 1400-1800.

Economy: 

Guadeloupe's economy depends on agriculture, light industry and tourism. Bananas and sugar are the main export commodities, accounting for over one-third of total foreign earnings. Coffee, cocoa and vanilla are the other important cash crops.

Tourism is also becoming increasingly important, especially ecotourism and there is a growing number of cruise ship visitors.

The islands have been seriously suffering because of the strength of the Euro and the economic downturn, which led to serious riots in January and February 2009.

Unemployment hit 23% in 2007 (compared with 6.5% in France) and Guadeloupe remains heavily dependent on France, which supplies most of the island's imports and takes three-quarters of its exports. In February, France announced a $730 million financial aid package to be shared between all of its Overseas Territories.

GDP: 

US$9.7 billion (2006 estimate).

Main exports: 

Bananas, sugar and rum.

Main imports: 

Food, fuel, vehicles, consumer goods and construction materials.

Main trading partners: 

France, Germany, USA, Japan and Netherlands Antilles.

Telephone: 

Good internal network. There are no area codes. Phonecards (télécartes) are necessary to make calls from public telephones.

Mobile phone: 

Mobile phones work in most areas on the island and there is good coverage. Analogue networks are compatible with most US handsets, which can be activated on the island by dialling 0 or by registering online.

Internet: 

Available in Internet cafes at Saint-Francois, Sainte Anne, Mare-Gaillard and Pointe-à-Pitre; there are also terminals in some larger post offices and public buildings.

Post: 

Airmail takes about one week to reach Europe. Postal rates are the same as metropolitan France.

Press: 

• Newspapers are all in French.
• The main daily is France-Antilles.
• Le Progrés Social is a popular weekly.

Television: 

• RFO is the main broadcasting company in Guadeloupe and is a public service.
• Other TV stations are Canal10, La Una Guadeloupe and Télê Guadeloupe.

Radio: 

• Radio Caraibes International is the local radio station and is privately operated, as is NRJ Antilles.
• RFO Guadeloupe, a public broadcaster, also operates.

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