By the Caribbean Journal staff
One of the Caribbean’s hottest destinations continues to surge.
Grenada, which was named Caribbean Journal’s Destination of the Year in the 2017 Caribbean Travel Awards, has continued its surging performance with strong arrival growth so far in 2018, according to the latest numbers from the Grenada Tourism Authority.
Stayover arrivals to Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique grew by just under 11 percent in the first half of 2018, compared to the same period in 2017.
Combining cruise, stayover and yacht arrivals, Grenada saw an overall year-over-year increase of 21.2 percent in the first half.
“We are happy that Pure Grenada maintains this hot streak with double digit growth and the destination continues to be trending internationally. It is evident that all our hard work is paying off with these great results,” said Patricia Maher, CEO of the Grenada Tourism Authority, in a statement. “Team Grenada will continue its efforts to ensure that the strong positive growth remains through the end of 2018.”
Grenada showed particularly strong growth from the United States market, with an 18.1 percent increase in American visitors, with the largest feeder markets being New York, Florida and New Jersey.
Canadian arrivals also rose by 8.56 percent.
A rendering of the Silversands.
The growth positions Grenada well for 2018, as the island looks to debut its highly-anticipated Silversands hotel.
Silversands, which has already joined the Leading Hotels of the World, is planning its opening on Nov. 1.
A rendering of the Kimpton Kawana Bay.
Another hot project, the Kimpton Kawana Bay, is slated to open in Grenada in 2019.
— CJ