When COVID allows, Canadians will be able to spice things up a little with the return of Air Canada flights to Grenada. Service to the Spice Island resumed earlier this week (Aug. 10) following the re-opening of international borders on Aug. 1 and the airport in mid July.
The carrier’s scheduled flight operates on Mondays, departing Toronto at 9 a.m. aboard mainline aircraft (replacing previous Rouge service), arriving at Maurice Bishop International Airport at 2:05 p.m. The return flight leaves at 3 p.m. arriving at Pearson at 8:25 p.m.
“This is a huge step for Pure Grenada, as we continue to observe a measured approach to re-opening the destination to international travellers,” says Patricia Maher, CEO of the Grenada Tourism Authority (GTA). “As one of our key source markets, we are pleased to know that we will be able to welcome back visitors from Canada.”
Maher cautions, that “while we are happy to have visitors explore our vibrant culture and immersive activities, we encourage all travellers to be mindful and ensure they adhere to the current advisories implemented to ensure their health and safety while visiting.”
Classified as medium risk, Canadians arriving in Grenada are required to agree to and observe mandatory health and safety protocols prior to booking and on arrival to the island. These include:
• Upon arrival, producing a negative PCR test taken within the previous week
• Undergo a rapid test at the airport; if positive take a further test and be subject to quarantine protocols for up to 14 days or until approved
• Have health insurance covering COVID or agree to bear the costs of quarantine
Grenada, a tri-nation state that includes Carriacou and Petite Martinique, lifted its curfew on July 8 and, as of Aug. 11, had reported 24 cases of the disease with 23 recovered, prompting tourism officials to call the south Caribbean islands a “COVD free” destination.
To help keep it that way, the country’s ministry of health and tourism authority used the pandemic pause to train and certify over 1,800 tourism industry stakeholders, across accommodation, attractions, food and beverage, tourism services including marinas, airport taxis, and water sports. Certified service providers are easily identified by the ‘Pure Safe Travel’ Seal of Approval, prominently displayed.
To reflect the re-opening of its borders, the Grenada Tourism Authority launched a new marketing campaign, “Just-For-You,” designed to encourage visitors who are “willing and able” to travel to the islands while having peace of mind that their health and safety is being protected.
To complement the campaign, a video and suite of images highlighting the islands’ treasures, freedom to explore, unique culture and friendly people, as well as the health and safety measures in place to protect residents and visitors was launched. The upbeat video is being shared digitally across social platforms, the Pure Grenada website and with industry partners.
Featuring luxury beach-front resorts, barefoot-chic boutique hotels and villas, visitors to Grenada will find over 50 white sand beaches, 15 waterfalls, countless hiking trails, and more than 60 dive sites, including the largest shipwreck in the Caribbean, ‘Bianca C’, plus the world’s first Underwater Sculpture Park.