Among the high-profile Caribbean travel industry personnel shifts over the past year was the April naming of Petra Roach, a longtime Barbados travel marketer, as the Grenada Tourism Authority (GTA)'s chief executive officer.

A celebrated Caribbean marketer, Roach's signature initiatives included a focus on programs to court active, high-income travelers including partnerships with the Brooklyn Nets National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise and Greenwich Polo Club.

In Grenada, Roach is tackling a new set of challenges, as the southern Caribbean archipelago seeks to re-establish its profile as an island blessed with supreme natural beauty, engaging traditions and abundant historic and cultural attractions.

We spoke with Roach this past week to hear her perspectives on the present and future of Grenada tourism under her leadership.

TravelPulse (TP): The pandemic challenged every tourism-reliant Caribbean country to carefully plan for visitor activity after reopening. How has Grenada's tourism program changed in the past year?

Petra Roach (PR): We stepped back and looked at who our customer was and ultimately, we recognize that the person who was coming to Grenada is not going to be the one going to Dominican Republic or let's say Jamaica, because we are an extremely small destination, only 134.6 square miles and 112,000 people.

For us, it is all about getting out of the hotel and experiencing our absolutely pure and beautiful landscape and embarking on adventures that bring you close to nature - from the beach to diving at our underwater sculpture museum, to the mountains where you breathe fresh clean air, hike through waterfalls, kayak and river tube. Our hotel product is also very unique, with only 2,200 rooms across the island and a wide variety of boutique properties.

TP: How do Grenada's nature-based attractions and activities correspond with today's travelers?

PR: You look at Grenada and it has so many beautiful natural assets. People think of an island as one destination, but we also have Petit Martinique and Carriacou. Twenty percent of our islands are marine protected areas so you're talking about an [archipelago] where conservation is key.

That means we can attract segments like the wellness traveler, those that have an interest in sustainability and eco-tourism, and people that are seeking the opportunity to dig deeper into themselves and have a positive, healing experience.

TP: Are there other intrinsic Grenada strengths that appeal to specific traveler segments?

PR: Culinary is always top-of-mind among travelers, and one of the other things that we saw is that having gone through the pandemic, people want to understand where their food is coming from. That's a really strong unique proposition Grenada has, because literally they say you can plant a pencil in the ground and it grows here.

Secondly, Grenada is an extremely safe destination which means it's highly appealing to solo and female travelers. We will be launching a new pledge that is going to remind visitors that when they visit the island, they know this is a precious resource for us and we want them to think carefully about how they interact with nature. We want to ensure that they help preserve the island in the way that it needs to be preserved.

TP: What other initiatives are you launching to emphasize local resources and culture?

PR: We're really challenging our eating establishments to ensure that at least 90 percent of their produce is local. Secondly, we are in the process of launching a voluntourism program which includes things like teaching kids to swim, planting trees in the mangroves and other activities through which visitors can give back. It's about the development of shared experiences and shared knowledge imparted through and into our local population.

We've also reconsidered some of what we're doing, so the dive festival for next year will be re-branded as a Dive and Conservation Festival, again recognizing that these are scarce resources, so we really need to be protective.

TP: How did the pandemic impact the country's tourism workers and infrastructure?

PR: Tourism represents 40 percent of Grenada's GDP so almost every person in the country felt the impact of the pandemic - not just those that are directly involved in tourism. Lots of workers had reduced hours of work which impacted their pockets, so we are very pleased to see the country reopened and the industry back on its feet. We are strictly focused on ensuring safety measures are in place to ensure the success of our island in the future.

TP: How do you describe your approach to the travel retail sector?

PR: We want to work with operators who have the same value set as we do, because who you play with is also a reflection on who you are yourself. As a destination we want to partner with entities who have responsible tourism at the very core of who they are. We aren't a mass tourism destination and never will be, so we want to work with those entities and operators that align with our core values and strengths. We want to be appreciated as a valued partner.

---

For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.

Topics From This Article to Explore