News

Grenada Looks to Tourism Ambassadors

By: Caribbean Journal Staff - November 30, 2011 - 9:43 am

By Lincoln Depradine

The Grenadian government is considering initiatives to attract “bona fide” investors to the country and generate greater employment opportunities.

The initiatives were revealed Tuesday during the unveiling of a new strategic plan for taking Grenada’s tourism industry to a higher level.

The plan was developed after months of consultations involving ministry and Grenada Board of Tourism officials, taxi drivers, tour operators and other tourism interest groups.

“We have listened with interest to the proposal for an Investment incentive package for qualified applicants,’’ Tourism Minister Peter David told the conference.

“One component of the proposed package recommends that the government set up a 30-day guarantee on Alien Landholding Licences,” David said. “This means that an applicant for a licence will get an answer within 30 days. That answer either should be licence granted, licence denied or we have queries on your application and we need you to answer the following questions.’’

Close to three hundred people attended the conference at the Grenada Trade Centre in Morne Rouge, St George’s, including Grenadian Prime Minister Tillman Thomas; Barbadian Tourism Minister Richard Sealy and St Kitts and Nevis Tourism Minister Ricky Skeritt, who is chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation.

During consultations to formulate the tourism strategic plan, suggestions were made on giving special consideration for citizenship “to persons who are actually investing in the country,’’ David said.

“This investment by bona fide investors must be sizeable,’’ he said. “It must come with certain conditions based on size of investment, numbers of Grenadians employed by the investor and the overall impact on the economy of the investment.’’

In addition recognition is given under the plan of “the need to attract capital into Grenada for the purpose of infrastructure development, in particular for the expansion of our hotel room stock. With just over 1500 rooms, it is necessary to expand that sector. For this purpose it was the view that government needs to come up with creative strategies to attract investors.’’

One of the proposals to help lure investors and more tourists to the country is to set up a Tourism Ambassadors’ Programme, which David described as “an inexpensive way of marketing this island.’’

The aim of the program, he explained, would be for the appointed ambassadors “to use their vast network and influence to facilitate investment into Grenada and also find opportunities for Grenadian goods and services on the international market.’’

Several ideas are being examined on a list of priorities for more efficient and targeted marketing of Grenada.

“These include the use of prominent Grenadians such as Kirani James, Rondell Bartholomew, Jason Roberts and Johnson Beharry as spokespersons in effectively marketing Grenada to the world,’’ David said.

In his conference address, the minister emphasized the importance of tourism to Grenada’s economy and its impact on other sectors of the society.

He said statistics on tourism’s impact usually focuse on the direct effect on tourism industry players such as hotels and restaurants.

What is often not measured is tourism’s “indirect economic contribution’’ to farmers, the electricity company, telephone companies, banks, supermarkets, the National Water and Sewage Authority, taxi tour operators, and market and spice vendors, he said.

 

Popular Posts antigua long bay

25 Perfect Caribbean Beaches to Add to Your Summer Bucket List

There’s nothing like a Caribbean beach in summer. The crowds thin out, the winds relax, and the islands start breathing in a different way. The beaches you thought you knew feel new again— stretches of sand once packed with winter […]


The 15 Best Hotels in Trinidad and Tobago, From Hidden Eco-Retreats to Luxury Towers

trinidad and tobago hotels where to stay

From Port of Spain to Tobago’s quiet coasts, these are the places to check in now No two Caribbean islands are quite like Trinidad and Tobago—and no two hotels here feel the same. This is a destination of contrast: Carnival […]


This Marriott All-Inclusive Resort Is Coming to Barbados —  And You Can Book It With Points

new brand for the caribbean

Barbados has long been a haven for adults in search of refinement — the kind of place where luxury and culture blend in quiet, confident harmony. Now, that ethos is becoming the foundation of a new resort concept that aims […]


Related Posts saint lucia pitons

Saint Lucia Is Booming: The Caribbean Island Just Had a Major Tourism Surge

The Pitons. The rainforest. The chocolate. Saint Lucia has long been a sought after place to visit in the Caribbean, from luxury resorts like Jade Mountain to romantic boutique hotels like the Hotel Chocolat.  And demand for the self-styled “Helen […]


This World-Famous Caribbean Beach Just Hits Different, With Brilliant Turquoise Water and Endless Perfect Moments

beach on grand anse in grenada

There’s a particular moment when Grenada’s Grand Anse Beach comes together. It’s just before sunset. Everyone’s here. The joggers on their beach runs. The visitors bobbing with their rum punches. Families out for walks. Everlasting liming. There’s a rare sense […]


Anguilla Is Hotter Than Ever. Now the Island Has a New Director of Tourism. 

anguilla tourism rendezvous beach

Anguilla is seeing record-breaking visitor totals, and now the island just named a new director of tourism, Caribbean Journal has learned.  Anguilla’s Tourism Minster Cardigan Connor has tapped Jameel Rochester as the new director of tourism at the Anguilla Tourist […]