Minister for Tourism & Civil Aviation, Hon. Yolande Bain–Horsford led a delegation to New York for the Caribbean Tourism Organisation’s Caribbean Week 2016 from Tuesday, 31 May to Sunday, 5 June 2016. This annual series of events is a platform for destination promotions, networking with industry partners, and collective negotiations that affect regional tourism.
While in New York, Minister Bain–Horsford joined other Caribbean Tourism Ministers at business meetings to discuss the latest trends among Caribbean visitors and perspectives on their experiences. They also addressed critical issues that affect regional tourism and strategies for positioning the Caribbean as the ideal region for vacations.
The delegation included the Grenada Tourism Authority’s new Chairman, Mr Rodney George; Chief Executive Officer, Mr Rudy Grant; Director of Sales for USA, Mrs Christine Noel-Horsford; and the incoming Director of Sales for Canada, Mr Sekou Stroude.
Highlighted were recent events like the inaugural Pure Grenada Music Festival and the Grenada Chocolate Festival; to boast of recent accolades like those bestowed upon Sir Royston Hopkin and his family-owned and operated hotel, Spice Island Beach Resort by the American Academy of Hospitality Services and that of the Calabash Hotel by TripAdvisor; and to showcase the effortless natural beauty of the tri-island state.
The Caribbean Media Marketplace and Reception on Thursday, 2 June allowed one-on-one interviews with top travel journalists interested in the unique aspects of Grenada, Carriacou, and Petite Martinique. The Grenada team showcased culinary delights and Grenadian culture at the Rum & Rhythm Benefit and Auction on Friday, 3 June, 2016.
Stayover arrivals from the USA to Grenada increased by 14.6% in 2015, and from January to April 2016 there was a 37.6% increase when compared to the same period last year. The United States of America continues to be the largest visitor source market for the tri-island state, with New York contributing the largest amount, followed by Florida, California, New Jersey and Texas.
GTA
