GEORGE’S — The 2022-2023 cruise season has officially begun in Grenada with the arrival of the Celebrity Summit on Oct. 21.

The ship, which carried 1,500 passengers arrived at St. George’s to much fanfare. An opening ceremony at the Melville Street Welcome Center was hosted by Minister of Tourism Lennox Andrews, who spoke about the growth of Grenada’s cruise sector.

“Over the years, our team at the Grenada Tourism Authority has established an excellent network of industry partners as well as various public and private stakeholders, and together they have all collaborated to take full advantage of the benefits of the cruise industry,” said the Minister.

This season, Grenada will be welcoming 202 cruise calls and an expected passenger count of 377,384, an 11% increase from the 2018-2019 season. Cruise tourism brings a host of benefits to the island, including boosting revenue for many local businesses, creating jobs, developing infrastructure, and enhancing cultural exchange between foreigners and citizens.

Said Petra Roach, CEO of the Grenada Tourism Authority: “Grenada is ready for the 2022-23 cruise season. In preparation, the GTA has facilitated training and workshop sessions focused on professional development, hospitality and cultural engagement sessions aimed at enhancing service excellence.”

This, added Roach, is part of an overall strategy to ensure Grenada’s stakeholders, including taxi operators, artisans and vendors, are prepared for the season and ready to provide culturally sound and professional services.

“Many cruise visitors are repeat visitors who choose to return to the destinations where they have had the best and most authentic experiences. Our overall growth in this sector speaks to strong consumer interest, our continued focus on expanding our product offering and our commitment to continuous product development and training for our stakeholders’ partners,” added Roach.

For more information about travel to Grenada go to www.puregrenada.com.