Grenada Puts Caribbean Spice on WTM London

Exclusive interview with Patricia Maher, CEO of the Grenada Tourism Authority, within the framework of World Travel Market in London.

Grenada comes to WTM with newer and higher expectations because the Caribbean island nation has broken into a new designer stand, built to showcase the new look of Grenada in a very modern and contemporary style.

From January through September this year, international tourist arrivals to Grenada have soared a staggering 20.4 percent, compared to the same span of time in 2017. That figure includes airborne and cruise passengers, as well as high-end yachters.

With those numbers in the bag, Patricia Maher, CEO of the Grenada Tourism Authority, sat down with Caribbean News Digital as she spelled out reasons that drive such a small Caribbean nation to be in attendance in a major travel and tourism fair like World Travel Market in London.

The United Kingdom and Ireland are by and large Grenada’s second-largest outbound markets, second best only to the United States of America. Canada and Germany are in the third and fourth positions, respectively, followed by the rest of Europe.

“Coming out of this travel show in London, we expect to grow our profile globally as a luxury destination in the Caribbean. We’re trending in the luxury market in the Caribbean with beautiful new hotels slated to open on the island on December 1 this year, such as the Silversands Grenada, located on Grand Anse Beach, the best beach in the Caribbean,” Mrs. Maher told Caribbean News Digital in an exclusive interview.

In the same breath, the Kimpton Kuwana Bay Hotel will be opening in 2020, also perched on Grand Anse Beach. This luxury boutique hotel -Mrs. Maher goes on to explain- will feature over 200 guestrooms.

“Actually, the destination is trending in the four- and five-star market and we want to showcase Grenada to the world at WTM. That’s why we’re here,” she added.

Asked about how important the MICE market is right now for Grenada, Mrs. Maher said that particular niche has been on the rise in recent years, especially in the luxury market. “We’re talking about smaller groups looking for a personalized experience and seeking something different, something out of the box, something creative” the CEO of the Grenada Tourism Authority went on to say.

“Grenada, for a small island, is kind of punched in terms of what you can do on the island. Especially MICE groups like and tend to do different things. We’ve got chocolate, we’ve got rum and we’ve got lots of activities, so we can move people with those things and have them engaged,” she said as she underscored the tremendous potentials Grenada has to offer as far as the MICE market is concerned and in attracting luxury high-end groups to the island nation.

There are efforts underway to reach out to other markets and broaden the scope of incoming tourists. However, Grenada remains focused on working on its main source markets per se, such as the United Stated.

In the case of Europe -she says- it’s not just Germany they are interested in, but rather all of Europe, with special stress on such major outbound markets as Spain, France, Austria and Switzerland.

Last but not least, Mrs. Maher referred to the significance of gastronomy when it comes to promoting the country overseas.

“It’s very important indeed. Why? Because we’re the spice of the Caribbean, you know. And of course, for us everything is flavor with the spices, with the cinnamon, the nutmeg, the ginger. And our food is extremely tasty. That’s why we’re trying to woo the French and the Europeans, who love our cuisine. Even in Canada we’re going to Montreal because we know we have a cuisine that they’d appreciate, and the flavors and the good food. For us, that’s a big asset,” Mrs. Maher pointed out.