Tourism Minister Hon. Alexandra Otway-Noel. Photo courtesy m.sknvibes.com
ST. GEORGE’S, GRENADA, 2013 – GIS: With a successful Carnival celebrations gone and the Cruise Season fast approaching, the Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation and Culture, the Hon. Alexandra Otway-Noel says that her Ministry has gotten back to the business of positioning Grenada as the ideal tourist destination in the regional and international tourism market.
“We’re back to the airlines and the cruise lines and making sure that we are positioning ourselves for a good upcoming cruise season,” the Tourism Minister said.
Minister Otway-Noel is currently in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago attending a work meeting for the implementation of the Southern Caribbean Cruise Route Initiative that will service Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, St. Vincent and St. Lucia.
“What we notice is that all the cruising is taking place in the North of the Caribbean and so we want to move some of it more to the South,” says the Minister, who believes that this initiative will give Grenada and the other participating islands the ‘shot in the arm’ necessary to capitalize on the cruise industry.
“We’re working on the Southern Caribbean Cruise Initiative where islands of the Southern Caribbean can market themselves and hopefully attract more ships to this part of the region.” In addition to enhancing Grenada’s cruise industry, Minister Otway-Noel says that her Ministry is looking into various avenues that will encourage year-round visits to the island.
“We want for there to be a constant, steady flow of visitors year-round and so we are trying to develop some events during the course of the year, and maybe move a few to different times of the year, so that we can attract tourists in the off season as well,”the Tourism Minister said.
With regard to air lift, while in Trinidad Minister Otway-Noel will meet with the Chairman of Caribbean Airlines to discuss the possibilities of increasing flights to Grenada.
“I have some more announcements to make very soon with regard to some more air lifts that we’ve been able to secure,” Minister Otway Noel said. She will also meet with the Trinidad and Tobago Minister for Transport, for conversations on a more frequent ferry service between Grenada and Trinidad.
The Grenada Tourism Minister says that she will use every opportunity to continue marketing Grenada to nationals of the neighbouring island.
