Strategic tourism plan is unveiled

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Parent Category: Dec 2011

Category: Week ending Dec 10th, 2011

Published on Monday, 19 December 2011 16:31

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After months of consultation, the Grenada Board of Tourism has launched its much talked about Strategic Plan for 2011-2014 during a conference held at the Grenada Trade Centre last week Tuesday.

The plan that was developed after months of engagement between the Ministry of Tourism and officials of the Grenada Board of Tourism, taxi drivers, tour operators and other tourism interest groups aimed at pushing the industry forward.

More than 300 stakeholders contributed towards the development of the Plan that began in January.

The 31-page document covers eight strategic initiatives - Product enhancement and development, Infrastructure, Marketing, Investment and marketing, Stakeholder capacity building, Building quality, National tourism consciousness and Carriacou and Petite Martinique.

The strategies call for increasing tourist arrivals by 4.25% per annum over 2010 figures by 2014, as well as increasing the average length of stay per visitor from 8.5 days in 2010 to 9.25 days by 2014 and increasing receipts by 30% from EC$250,206,831 by 2014 and achieving a 5% increase in dives annually up to 2014.

The tourism planners have also committed to increasing room stock by 500 rooms by 2014, achieving a 25% increase in cruise passenger spend from EC$132 in 2011 to EC$165 by 2014, increasing the number of yachts visiting Grenada by 10% in year one, and 50% within five years; and increasing direct employment to 3,600 by 2014.

Tourism Minister Peter David who delivered a keynote address indicated that the Plan represents a new beginning for Grenada’s tourism Industry.

He said that to achieve the goals set out, stakeholders must take full responsibility for, and be held accountable for implementation.

The tourism minister spoke of the serious challenges facing the industry as a result of the financial meltdown but reminded stakeholders of the importance of the industry to Grenada’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

“The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) estimates that more than 25% of Grenada’s GDP is derived from Tourism. However, our national statistics Department estimates that Tourism contributes between 5-7% of Grenada’s GDP”, he remarked,

Minister David said it is with the industry’s importance in mind that the local tourism planners have spent such a long time and expended resources in developing this new strategic approach for the industry.

“All, government and opposition, Private sector and public sector, farmers, nurses, taxi men must embrace this approach. Everyone in Grenada must embrace this for there to be success”, he added.

According to the senior government minister, the planners are proposing an Implementation Task Force (ITF) or Tourism Strategy Implementation Body (TSIB) that will be responsible for the execution and delivery of the plan.

Noting that he himself will chair the ITF or TSIB, Minister David stated that the ITF will have sub-committees “comprising persons with a track record of success and who are drawn from a wide cross-section of Grenadian society”.

In addition, as part of the overall plan, the tourism planners will be reviewing the structure of the management of the industry in order to set up a Tourism Authority to replace the present Board of Tourism.

The launch of the Strategic Plan forms part of the observance of Tourism Awareness Month in Grenada under the theme “Embracing Tourism: It Impacts Every Sector”. 

Minister David said the theme is most appropriate given the very real challenges facing Grenada’s tourism industry and other segments of the local economy.

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