Honourable Lennox Andrews, Minister for Economic Development, Planning, Tourism, ICT and the Creative Economy, Agriculture and Lands, Fisheries and Cooperatives with responsibility for Economic Development, Planning, Tourism ICT and Creative Economy, and Petra Roach, CEO of the Grenada Tourism Authority (GTA), formed part of the delegation which attended the 22nd World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) Global Summit in Saudi Arabia.
It was the first time Grenada had a delegation attending the summit.
This year’s theme “Travel for a Better Future” sought to promote sustainable growth for the Travel & Tourism sector and brought together tourism delegates from 185 countries and 25 regions to report on and discuss the environmental, economic and employment impact of Travel & Tourism globally.
The CEO of the Grenada Tourism Authority stated, “Grenada is pro-sustainable growth for the travel and tourism industry and the discussions at the summit amplified the commitment of the public and private sector to ensure responsible and inclusive growth in the global community. The summit highlighted that many economies have shifted or increased their focus on the tourism industry and for Grenada, this means we must focus on the uniqueness of the island, our boutique offerings and our ability to provide intimate and personalised experiences while being an organically sustainable destination.”
Minister Andrews said, “This experience has given us new and valuable insights into the global tourism product and highlights the ways the industry is connected. Tourism plays a vital role in the Grenadian economy and by extension, our region. The statistics presented by the organisation suggest that the industry’s contribution is significant to world economic output and world trade. Therefore, moving forward, I plan to implement some strategies discussed while ensuring that it is tailored to our economy to develop and expand our tourism product.”
In attendance at the global summit were 55 Ministers of Government, 250 private and public sector executives, and more than 60 Ambassadors and Diplomats.
The World Travel & Tourism Council Global Summit occurs annually with a focus on ensuring the standard of sustainability in the global tourism industry remains at its highest.
