Cash incentives and fam trips part of new Grenada specialist program
The Grenada Tourism Authority (GTA) recently launched a new travel agent specialist program designed for advisors to become experts in selling the destination. The Grenada Travel Expert Program highlights the GTA’s commitment to the trade and recognizes the important role travel advisors play in the recovery of the industry.
In addition to becoming experts on all things Grenada from its 40 white sand beaches and 15 waterfalls to the latest hotel updates, there are a number of perks available to travel agents who complete the training.
Benefits include a personalized Grenada Travel Expert Certificate of Completion upon graduation, continuing Education Units (CEU) from the Association of Canadian Travel Agencies, monthly cash rewards to the top three agents recording the most room nights, a quarterly cash reward to the top booking travel agency and more.
The top 20 agents will be invited to an annual VIP fam trip in Grenada and an annual grand prize will be awarded to the travel agent recording the most room nights in a calendar year for all-Inclusive vacation for two including airfare, accommodation, meals, and transfers.
To find out more about the program and what’s new in Grenada, Travel Courier caught up with Sekou Stroude, director of sales, Canada, for the GTA.
Tell us about the new Grenada specialist program and what’s in it for agents?
The Grenada Travel Expert program is an e-learning course that allows travel advisors to familiarize themselves with the destination’s attributes and unique selling points. The course contains a wealth of information to help them sell Grenada to their clients and will be an excellent tool to aid them in increasing their bookings. The best part of it all is that agents will earn cash prizes and other awards for the bookings that they make, so there is a great incentive for selling Grenada. We think that it’s important for agents to be recognized and rewarded for their hard work, and that is the major motivation behind the launch of this program.
As a tri-island destination, we represent an amazing value proposition: one we find visitors like to take advantage of. Visiting Grenada gives you access to three completely different experiences, as each island has their own special offerings and their own unique atmosphere.
Grenada is considered to be the “mainland” and has something for everyone, starting with beautiful beaches and waterfalls, amazing hiking trails, river tubing and water sports to satisfy the nature and adventure lovers. We are a Culinary Capital and so of course our visitors can indulge in world class dining and epicurean experiences like our bean to bar chocolate tours, culinary safaris, rum and chocolate tasting and cooking classes. There is also a wide range of accommodation, from luxury resorts to boho-chic boutique hotels to beach cottage properties, there is a fit for every budget.
Carriacou and Petite Martinique boast the most beautiful coral reefs and the best snorkeling and sailing. These islands are quintessentially Caribbean- friendly communities, relaxed way of life that revolves around the ocean and the outdoors, and traditions that abound- most fascinating is the boat building that continues to this day. These islands are so picture-perfect you literally feel like you are in a Caribbean postcard.
As people are getting back to travel, the destination is seeing new developments in the hotel sector that we’re excited about, including Six Senses at La Sagesse and Levera Nature and Beach Resort. Additionally, construction has begun on the second Silversands branded resort at Portici Beach. We are also expecting an Intercontinental brand hotel in the parish of St. David to break ground this year.
New restaurants are opening all the time in Grenada and Carriacou, and we have several new river-based experiences that are becoming very popular — namely bamboo river rafting and Riverlands Cottage in the parish of St. Andrew. We are happy for our visitors to explore the rainforest interior of the island, and these excursions do just that. In Carriacou, a new hiking and heritage trail has opened at Limlair, and we encourage visitors to check out this brand new attraction in our sister isle.
Finally, we are ecstatic about the Grenada Chocolate Festival coming back in-person this year, May 13th – 18th, as well as the inaugural Dive and Conservation Festival from May 18th – 23rd. May is going to be a great month to be in Grenada!
Canada has long been a market important to the Caribbean and is the third largest market for the destination. Grenada has much to offer Canadians: warm climate, gorgeous nature, lots of soft adventure and mind-blowing cuisine. We love that Canadians typically want to explore the destination when they travel and are very immersive and experiential — Grenada, being a safe and friendly island, is a perfect fit for Canadian travellers. We expect that Air Canada will resume direct flights at the end of April, in the meantime, Grenada is fairly easy to get to via American Airlines and Jet Blue, or through Barbados.
We want to re-emphasize our support for Canadian travel advisors and assure them that we are here to assist. We are confident that your clients will have the trip of a lifetime in Grenada, so please visit our website, www.puregrenada.com, complete our specialist program, and reach out to me at [email protected] should you have any questions at all.
We are here for YOU.
