In light of the recent news reports regarding the Grand Anse Spice and Craft Market. The Grenada Tourism Authority (GTA) wishes to provide clarity regarding the consultations held with the tenants of the market.
After 20 months of closure, the GTA has been working alongside all stakeholders to ensure their safety and security as well as balance the stimulation of the economy and livelihoods.
35 out of 39 vendors at the Grand Anse Craft and Spice Market have made the choice to be fully vaccinated. Through continuous dialogue and open conversation, the overwhelming majority of the vendors understood that the reintroduction of cruise tourism brings economic opportunity and that being Fully Vaccinated lends them and by extension their family and friends an extra layer of protection.
Several vendors made an appeal to safely reopen the market. We have been working together to ensure a safe, exciting and sustainable recovery.
To this end there has been a phased and collaborative approach to re-opening the market, with several meetings being held.
August 31- GTA hosted a stakeholder conversation, titled “How We Tackle Covid-19 Together” which included a question and answer segment with a medical expert who was brought in to speak to vendors and all stakeholders about covid-19 and vaccinations.
October 20- A meeting was held at the Burns Point Welcome Center specific to the vendors of the market, attended by Minister of Tourism Clarice Modeste Curwen as well as members of the GTA Management team.
November 08 – A follow up meeting to hear the concerns of the vendors and work on solutions to ensure the health and safety of all, whilst balancing the need to return to work. The Minister and GTA Management team were in attendance.
November 15 – the Chairman of the Board of the GTA and members of the GTA Management team again met with the vendors to discuss reopening the market and vaccination status.
November 16 – The Chairman and the GTA Management team met with the vendors to discuss the pilot beach bubble tours and the new alliance with the National Taxi Association to ensure that the vendors at the craft and spice market were included in the bubble tours for the cruise ship passengers.
These meetings and consultations with the vendors and all relevant stakeholders resulted in the press conference held at the Melville Street cruise ship welcome center on November 19th and was attended by the vendors of the Grand Anse Craft & Spice Market and members of the National Taxi Association.
Please note that this is the first time that the vendors market has been made part of a cruise ship tour schedule and will exclusively be serviced by members of the taxi association.
The new beach bubble tours will also incorporate 12 vendors from the Melville street market location who will be allowed to relocate to the Grand Anse location on tour days.
The stakeholders of the Grand Anse Craft and Spice market have been responsive to the meetings and discussions held with tourism officials, as evidenced by the high vaccination rate of the vendors. Many have worked along with the GTA to ensure that protocols are upheld and that they are back at work in an environment where health and safety has been made a priority.
We look forward to having all our tourism spaces opened as safe spaces for visitors and locals.
