Grenada had a strong performance in the global travel market in 2025, with preliminary figures showing the country experienced almost double-digit growth in visitor arrivals.

Speaking with Caribbean Pulse, Grenada Tourism Authority (GTA) CEO Stacey Liburd said preliminary figures indicate that visitor arrivals to Grenada and its sister islands, Carriacou and Petit Martinique, rose by around eight per cent over 2024.

Preliminary data show total visitor arrivals climbed from 524,708 in 2024 to an estimated 566,118 in 2025.

Cruise tourism was the strongest performer, with passenger arrivals increasing from 314,127 in 2024 to about 370,787 in 2025.

The spike in cruise visitors came as no surprise to the GTA, as Liburd noted it is an industry trend.

The CEO told Caribbean Pulse, the GTA and its stakeholders are working to convince cruisers to take longer trips to Grenada.

“The goal is to convert cruise visitors to overnight stays because overnight stays provides the greatest long-term value,” she said.

“And the reason for that is because visitors have more time to experience the destination thereby spending on things such as food and beverage, sights and attractions, transportation, hotel stays and other services. And we want to ensure that tourism dollars trickle down so that everyone benefits.”

Stayover arrivals declined by about four per cent to 186,522, while the yachting sector fell by roughly 44 per cent to 8,809 visitors. Liburd noted that the decline in yachting was linked to recovery challenges following Hurricane Beryl.

Despite the mixed performance across sectors, Liburd said Grenada’s tourism brand continues to gain momentum, particularly through culture and events.

“Grenada is having a moment right now through our culture and through our music,” she said. “The artists are enjoying the visibility and the popularity of songs that they worked so hard to write, produce and perform” 

She described Spice Mas as one of the standout highlights for 2025, noting its growing appeal to international visitors.

“We increased visitor arrivals [for Spice Mas] in 2025 and it’s projected again to continue to grow in 2026,” the CEO said.

Regionally, the Caribbean emerged as Grenada’s second-largest source market, behind the United States, which accounts for about 53 per cent of arrivals.

Trinidad and Tobago leads Caribbean arrivals, making up just over six per cent of total annual visitors, with November figures alone showing Trinidadians accounting for more than 13 per cent of arrivals for that month.

“That’s a healthy number,” Liburd said. “Trinidad continues to be a very important market for us, and we’ve always enjoyed a strong relationship as neighbours.”

She said the GTA is deepening its regional strategy, viewing Caribbean travel as an opportunity for growth rather than competition.

“We’ve identified [the region] as a low-hanging fruit,” Liburd said. “Because a lot of times when we think about celebrating momentous occasions in our lives, we think about going to Miami, New York, far afield, whereas there’s opportunity right here, right next door.”

She revealed Grenada is looking at signing memorandums of understanding with several regional destinations for partnerships that will promote multi-destination travel.

Airlift remains a central pillar of Grenada’s growth strategy, with Liburd confirming ongoing engagement with regional and international airlines.

“Airlift is very vital to our tourism growth,” she said. “We are constantly in conversations with airlines about how we can collaborate to market the route, how we can launch campaigns to educate the travel trade and consumers, how we can work with hotels to offer enticing packages.”

Grenada recently welcomed service from Delta Air Lines, and Liburd said discussions continue with existing carriers on flight frequency and improving connectivity.

She noted the decision on service ultimately rests with the airlines, but Grenada remains a willing partner to make the service profitable for the airline and tourism stakeholders.

Looking ahead, Liburd said the GTA has completed a comprehensive global tourism strategy for 2026 and beyond, developed with public and private stakeholders.

“We wanted transparency, we wanted buy-in, and we wanted people to feel included,” she said. 

Key developments expected to shape 2026 include the opening of the InterContinental Grenada Resort in the fourth quarter of 2025, adding 150 rooms along with meeting and events space.

“The advantage to that is that this property will be the same ownership range development as Six Senses, and they’re situated right next door. So guests will be able to take advantage of the amenities of both properties,” Liburd said.

Additional projects include a new boutique hotel by True Blue Bay in Carriacou, expansion works at Silver Sands, and six new suites recently added by Calabash.

Reflecting on her first year in the role, Liburd said one of her personal highlights was the development and public presentation of the GTA’s 2026 global strategy.

“It’s about 200 pages, but we made sure there was no stone unturned, and because we wanted to share it with our stakeholders, we wanted it to be clear about the direction that we’re taking, what informed that direction, and how we can work together to dominate for 2026.”

She said the strategy is a clear roadmap, which allows Grenada to answer any questions when investors and airlines enquire about projected growth, room stock, etc.

She also pointed to organisational restructuring, succession planning and staff development as key achievements.

As Grenada looks ahead to 2026, Liburd said visitors can expect a deeper, more immersive experience.

“It’s not about sun, sand and sea. No one is marketing on that these days. You can go to the Jersey Shore for sun, sand and sea,” Liburd said. 

She added the goal is for visitors to leave Grenada with a greater appreciation for the country and an urge to come back for more.