Omar Perez
From celebrating a half century of independence to new resort openings, to establishing a new underwater park to hosting the Caribbean Tourism Organization's Sustainable Tourism Development conference, it sounds like a busy year ahead for Grenada.
The island nation, along with Dominica, landed a spot on this year's New York Times' 52 Places to Go list. "Grenada's verdant terrain, bountiful farms and uncrowded white-sand beaches entice with culinary delights, natural attractions and new luxury accommodations," was how the Times article described the destination.
How long the main island of Grenada and its smaller sister islands, Carriacou and Petite Martinique, remain uncrowded remains to be seen, but there's a growing demand from the U.S. market, which accounts for 60% of guests. Last year, Grenada saw 95,725 visitors, marking a 22% increase from 2023 and a 25% increase from 2019.
What visitors make up the figures? Petra Roach, CEO of Grenada Tourism Authority, said the Spice Isle has seen growing numbers of solo adventurers, group travelers and ecofriendly option seekers as well as those in search of wellness experiences.
Grenada will host this year's CTO Conference on Sustainable Tourism Development, last held in St. Vincent and the Grenadines in 2019. Grenada, for its part, has embraced efforts that include the Artificial Reef Project, which seeks to mitigate the effects of climate change, storm damage and overfishing.
Petra Roach
"We take our moniker as dive capital of the Caribbean seriously and want to hold on to that and keep that niche experience at the top of its game," Roach said. "We've implemented various policies and programs to promote sustainable tourism, including initiatives to protect our marine and terrestrial ecosystems, support local communities, and promote responsible travel practices."
Last year, Grenada expanded the artwork count at Moliniere Underwater Sculpture Park, widely credited as being the first of its kind worldwide. Sensing diver and snorkeler interest to the first, Grenada will debut a second underwater park in Carriacou in June.
The underwater park is one way Grenada hopes to spark additional tourism interest to Carriacou and Petite Martinique. It's also looking to improve island connectivity. That includes increasing flight frequency and extending landing hours into the night at Lauriston Airport on Carriacou, and rebuilding the Hillsborough jetty, which has been out of commission since 2019 after the opening of a new port in Tyrrel Bay.
Grenada is welcoming more luxury accommodations that embrace sustainability to its inventory this year. The boutique hotel Silversands Beach House, with 28 rooms and suites, opened last month, while the Six Senses La Sagesse, the brand's first in the Americas, with 56 pool suites and 15 villas, is slated to open in April. Adjacent to it on the shoreline of La Sagesse Beach, the InterContinental Grenada Resort, with 150 rooms and 30 suites, is set to open next year.
"The choice of Grenada by Six Senses, renowned for its strong focus on sustainability and wellness programming, speaks volumes," Roach said. This year's added accommodations would coincide with Spicemas, the island's biggest carnival, which takes place in August.
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Grenada is also looking to raise awareness of its culinary offerings, working with local chefs to provide farm-to-table experiences. There are also plans to team with Alexander Smalls, who wears many hats as a James Beard Award-winning chef/restaurateur/author/Grammy and Tony award-winning opera singer. The partnership would showcase Grenadian recipes that incorporate its spices and cocoa through activities including master classes with local chefs and tastemaker events with celebrity and influential chefs.