By Michael Baginski/ Grenada continues to be a popular destination for Canadians, but with many currently looking for new destinations beyond the U.S., the island’s new CEO of tourism thinks the time is ripe to make an even stronger case for the Spice Island.
Stacey Liburd, just five weeks into her post as head of the Grenada Tourism Authority, is delivering her message in Toronto this week on the GTA’s annual mission to one of the Caribbean island’s “most important” source markets.
Meeting with media, partners (like Air Canada Vacations), and travel advisors (tonight), Liburd says Canada has traditionally been a “focussed” market for Grenada, catering to higher net worth individuals.
But with year-round air service (Air Canada has recently added additional summer service, along with WestJet, which introduced seasonal flights last winter), Liburd told Travel Industry Today, “We see tremendous growth for this market. We see that Canadians travel a little differently to Americans in terms of what they look for… and how we market is a little bit different.
“We try to spend time here and spend as much investment (as we can) in educating travellers about Grenada and what it has to offer, and why choose Grenada than anywhere where else.”
Acknowledging that Grenada isn’t a mass-market destination for Canadians, she says, “I know that Canadians love all-inclusives, because you pay one price and don’t have to think about anything else, but sometimes with the all-inclusives, it hinders you from going out and experiencing a destination that is organic and lends itself to that immersive experience.”
(Ed note: There are three all-inclusives in Grenada: Sandals, Royalton, and the Spice Island Beach Resort).
“The message we really want to put out is that Grenada is a safe destination number one,” she says. “Number two, we encourage you to go out and try the many different offerings that the island has at its fingertips…. I really want to challenge today’s traveller to go out and experience the destination.”
And there is much to experience.
At only 33 km long, and encompassing neighbouring Carriacou and Petite Martinique, visitors will find soft adventure activities on-island, and off, ranging from hiking and four-wheel drive excursions to paddle boarding and snorkelling/diving, the latter amongst the world’s best, featuring wrecks, real and artificial reefs, and an underwater sculpture park (with a second that recently opened in Carriacou). And sailing and yachting are ubiquitous (with rental and charters available).
There are also rum distilleries, chocolate factories, a spice market, and historical attractions, while festivals, like Spicemas in August, dot the calendar year-round.
Beaches come in both black and white sand varieties – notably featuring acclaimed Grand Anse, plus Paradise Beach. And the island has been named a “Culinary Capital” by The World Food Travel Association.
With so many idyllic attributes – including simply simply smelling good (with an abundance of nutmeg, ginger, vanilla, and cinnamon, amongst other spices) – the island is naturally big on romance, and ideal for weddings and honeymoons.
And having recently been accepted into Virtuoso as a preferred destination, Grenada will further develop luxury as one of its tourism pillars, says Liburd, who adds that the GTA has an aggressive strategy for 2026 that will include a brand update that will focus on adding such pillars (MICE being another one), as well as refreshing its travel advisor specialist program.
Meanwhile, on-island a number of hotels continue to refresh, including the introduction of wellness offerings at the Mount Cinnamon Resort, new suites on the way at the Calabash Resort, and a 150-room InterContinental Resort expected to open in late 2026.
With so much going on, and the aforementioned alternative travel planning by many Canadians as a result of U.S. disenchantment, Liburd says the GTA is exploring “what we can do to take full advantage of this opportunity and climate to get more folks into the destination.”
She adds that one way under consideration is partnering with neighbouring islands like Saint Vincent or Trinidad, St. Lucia, Barbados, to “provide multi-destination packages where you get different experiences, and its only 10 or 20 minutes away from Grenada. It’s going to be marketing the region as one Caribbean.”
Notwithstanding, Liburd assures, “the Canadian market is doing well,” though she adds, “and I think there’s an opportunity to do even better.
“And that is why I’m here,” she says, “and that’s why we’ll continue to nurture this market.”
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