On Sunday, 31 October, Grenada welcomed the return of air service from Canada for the first time in a year.
Air Canada flight 1066, a Boeing 737 Max 8, touched down at 2:55 pm. Captain John Petropoulos and 169 passengers were warmly greeted by Grenada Tourism Authority (GTA) CEO Petra Roach, Marketing Executives Renee Goodwin and Shanai St Bernard and the pulsating rhythms steel pan music. The pilot and crew were presented with a beautiful coffee table book, Grenada Heritage “A Pictorial Journey Through Place and Time” and a selection of locally made chocolates. Passengers were gifted tote bags that included a collection of authentic Grenadian goods.
To stimulate demand for the twice-weekly flights from Toronto, on Sundays and Wednesdays, the GTA has embarked on an aggressive marketing campaign employing traditional, digital, and social media tactics in the Canadian market with Air Canada and the travel syndicate, TravelBrands.
The Air Canada campaign will include, but is not limited to, digital activations on their Facebook page and the Weather Network as well as a credit of 5,000 Aeroplan miles for each passenger booking the destination during the 3-week campaign.
Travelbrands is a Canadian-owned and operated “super distribution” network comprised of 5 retail/online travel agency brands and 10 tour operator wholesale brands. Sunquest, Exotik Tours, Holiday House, and other brands such as FunSun Vacations, Boomerang Tours, RedTag.ca and ALBATours all exist under one umbrella, making TravelBrands a powerhouse in the Canadian travel industry.
Their campaign will include a two-week homepage takeover of Redtag.ca, Deal Alert push notifications, banner ads and video posts. Travel agents who book vacations to Grenada will receive 5 times the regular loyalty points for the duration of the campaign.
GTA CEO, Petra Roach commented, “Canadians are eager to travel and we anticipate that there will be a surge in international trips during the winter period, particularly to warm weather destinations. We, therefore, need to be visible in the marketplace to take advantage of this pent-up demand and position Grenada as the ideal destination for Canadians seeking an escape from frigid temperatures to holiday in an authentic destination.”
In 2019, Grenada welcomed a total of 17,911 Canadians.
GTA
Love your island … can’t wait to return.
…. And here comes the virus again…..
FYI – In order to board a flight from Canada, passengers must be fully vaccinated. As per the protocols in Grenada, a PCR test taken within 72 hours of travel must also be presented before being allowed on a flight, along with a 2 day quarantine. What more do you want? It has been established that the virus was spread within the local community, as many Grenadians still do not follow the protocols. With the very low % of Grenadians getting vaccinated, there is a high risk of a devastating 2nd wave.
Are you vaccinated??? If not go get vaccinated and keep on encouraging others to be vaccinated. Wear your masks and follow handwashing protocols limit your gathering sizes. Get tested if you feel sick even if you are vaccinated. The virus can mutate again and Grenada’s closed environment is the perfect place for it. The virus is and has been circulating on Grenada for the past year. Continual testing is essential.
Do vaccinated 2 doses travellers from Canada have to quarantine 2 days in their hotel on arrival?
OK, as a longtime, repeat visitor to Grenada I would like the same treatment when I arrive.
Finally…
