TRAVEL GUIDE: GRENADA
THE SPICE OF THE CARIBBEAN WELCOME TO THIS SPECIAL GRENADA TRAVEL GUIDE, A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE GRENADA TOURISM AUTHORITY AND SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE. The Grenada Tourism Authority is the national tourism organization for the three-island destination of Grenada, Carriacou, and Petite Martinique. Our vision statement says that through purposeful collaboration, we will consistently strive to develop Grenada, Carriacou, and Petite Martinique, as the premier tourism destination of choice, strategically promoting our niche offerings and uniqueness. Our brand is ‘Pure Grenada: the Spice of the Caribbean’. As a destination, we are about authenticity, wellness, experiences, and rejuvenation. We have identified five niches which attract many of our visitors which are adventure, sailing and yachting, cruising, romance, and diving. In September of 2018, Grenada banned the importation of Styrofoam, and in February 2019, we banned the importation of single-use plastic bags with handles. The government is also working on other single-use items such as plastic straws and cutlery. We also encourage our stakeholders to implement green initiatives in their operations, and we’ve seen a lot of that happening. The research shows that many visitors, when 26 | SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE
they are looking at their next tourism destination, are conscious about sustainability and protecting the environment. Our people are friendly, warm, and go above and beyond to deliver great service. We encourage visitors to go out and join in our festivals, meet the people, eat local food, and immerse themselves in the Grenadian way of life. Tourism really drives community growth. Recently our Ministry for Tourism and Civil Aviation has been going into the communities and seeing what each one has to offer which could be developed by local people to create revenue and sustainable livelihoods. We have a Tourism Awareness Campaign which seeks to educate persons about the tourism industry and motivate them to get involved in the industry and protect the environment. The tagline is ‘Tourism Is Everybody’s Business’. Whether you’re a farmer, or a student, or a banker, everybody has a role to play. We distributed a booklet (Tourism and Me) to students between the ages of 8 and 12, educating future generations about tourism and disposing of litter properly. On completing
that program, the students receive pins marked ‘Tourism Ambassadors’. We also give advice to prospective investors in the tourism industry and people who want to create an experience or business. They are supported with advice on what they need to have, assistance with developing ideas, and they are pointed in the direction of suitable funding, from organizations such as the Grenada Industrial Development Corporation. Presently in Grenada, the sale of food or products in Styrofoam has been completely banned and in February 2020 plastic bags with handles should not be found on island. We are looking forward to the day when we completely ban single use plastics. We will be focusing more on sustainable tourism, and how we can get more of our stakeholders to implement sustainable tourism practices. We also plan to focus more on community tourism, getting communities involved in developing and implementing experiences that can add to our product, and continuing to work with students and schools, encouraging young people to get interested and involved in the tourism sector.
