The Grenada Tourism Authority intends to revitalise its trade symposium event later this year, after it was rested last year due to budget constraints. The number of travel agent spaces available is being increased to 50, an allocation that will be shared between the UK, Canada and the US. This mega fam crossed with a mini trade show is planned for November and more details will be released soon.
"We have our Grenada training programme, which we are about to relaunch, but we know agents need to experience the destination for themselves," Stacey Liburd, chief executive of the Grenada Tourism Authority told TTG, acknowledging how fam trips help them sell with more confidence.
Speaking this week during a trade visit to the UK, Liburd explained the Caribbean destination had a fresh focus on diversifying source markets, and trade engagement was critical to that strategy. “Travel advisors should look to us as a resource, for hotel suggestions, for service providers, for mock itineraries," she said.
Analysing the impact of the US-Iran war, she said there were both threats and opportunities for Grenada.
“These geopolitical tensions affect the Caribbean because some 50-80% of our visitors come from the US. For Grenada, it’s 54%, and I’m very uncomfortable when I see those numbers. I credit what our prime minister has been doing because even before the first quarter of this year, with what happened in Venezuela, and then the Middle East, he had recognised we needed to diversify our market.”
She continued: “We see this as an opportunity to turn our focus elsewhere, places like Europe and Latin America, to nurture our source markets, like the UK and Canada, and say hey, we have direct flights, Grenada is safe, we are unique. It’s up to us now to leverage that traveller sentiment.”
Although the UK dropped from second to third position in Grenada’s list of source markets last year, Stacey said this year had already seen a turnaround, with January and February delivering a 17% increase in UK arrivals year-on-year.
“We’ll have to wait until we get the April numbers to see if the conflict has directly influenced our bookings, but from speaking to our stakeholders, we know Grenada attracts a high number of repeat visitors. They come because they feel welcomed. And we love that, it speaks to our brand loyalty.”
Hotels and tours
Grenada can look forward to some new hotel products to entice visitors to the island.
Intercontinental Grenada – La Sagesse will be open by the end of the year, with 120 guest rooms and suites.
Liburd said: “The Intercontinental is already uploaded into the GDS so anyone looking to book now for Q4 absolutely can. We’re excited about this hotel, because not only will it have a leisure focus, there will also be a MICE focus, and it’s a more upmarket product, so that’s a new opportunity for us.”
One of Grenada’s best known luxury hotels, Calabash, is in the midst of adding new suites. Four Superior Deluxe Suites have already been completed, soon to be joined by another two Hillside Penthouse Suites later this year.
She also teased an expansion for True Blue Bay: “They are going to expand their footprint over to Carriacou, it’ll have about 30 rooms and be boutique and eco-friendly. We have seen some renderings and it’s absolutely magnificent. They’ve not broken ground yet but we’re hoping that’ll happen middle of this year.”
Liburd emphasised the experiences available for visitors to Grenada, from scenic flights with Dowden Aviation and off-the-beaten-path jeep and buggy tours with Sun Hunters to chocolate factory and rum distillery tours.
She highlighted a couple of new offerings – one being Nature Spa Grenada, a full-day wellness retreat at Mount Carmel waterfall, which combines yoga, breath work, spa rituals, rainforest walks, and a plant-based meal prepared by a local chef. The Nature Spa Cocoa Glow Edition on May 23 costs US$130pp.
The other was Home Hospitality Grenada, an immersive culinary experience showcasing the island's farm-to-table traditions. A cooking class and garden tour costs US$120pp.
“We’re creating these sorts of experiences that feel authentic and sustainable because everything is done from the land,” she said.
