Grenada Tourism Authority CEO Petra Roach was awarded the Director of Tourism Award 2024 by the Caribbean Tourism Organisation at the Women’s Leadership Breakfast during Caribbean Week in New York. The ceremony celebrated exceptional women in Caribbean tourism leadership across three distinguished categories:
- The Director of Tourism Award 2024: Recognizes a female Director of Tourism who has demonstrated exceptional visionary leadership, driven destination growth and development, has shown unwavering commitment to regional tourism development and provided support and inspiration to other women in Caribbean leadership roles
- The Minister of Tourism Award 2024: Honors a female Minister of Tourism demonstrating excellence and chosen by fellow Ministers. This was awarded to Valérie Damaseau – Commissioner of Tourism & Culture, St. Martin
- The Secretary-General’s Distinguished Service Award: Celebrates a female leader with over 30 years of service, with notable contributions to regional tourism and who provides inspirational support to other women in the industry. Selected by the Secretary-General in consultation with the Chairmanship. This was awarded to Beverly Nicholson-Doty, CEO of Figment Design
In receiving this accolade, Petra Roach expressed her heartfelt gratitude and reaffirmed her dedication to fostering growth and development within the Caribbean tourism sector. Stating, “I am deeply honored to receive this recognition from the Caribbean Tourism Organization. This award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the entire team at the Grenada Tourism Authority. Our collective efforts have been instrumental in driving growth and elevating Grenada’s profile on the global stage. I am passionate about inspiring other women and future generations to dream big and take bold steps to advance our industry. Together, we can create a thriving, inclusive, and sustainable tourism landscape that benefits all Caribbean nations for years to come.”
Minister of Tourism, the Honourable Adrian Thomas, expressed his appreciation, stating, “We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Petra on this well-deserved accolade. This esteemed recognition is a testament to her unparalleled passion and innovation in promoting Grenada and her dynamic leadership, which has not only propelled Grenada’s tourism industry to new heights but has also set a benchmark for excellence and innovation across the Caribbean.”
Chairman of the GTA Randall Dolland added, “Under Petra’s stewardship, the Grenada Tourism Authority has seen remarkable advancements in sustainable tourism, strategic marketing initiatives, and community engagement, all of which have cemented Grenada’s position as a premier travel destination.”
This prestigious award follows CEO Roach's receiving the Caribbean Tourism Director of the Year accolade in December 2023 from Carib Journal’s Caribbean Travel Awards.
Furthermore, Grenada has received significant recognition in collaboration with Teen Vogue’s Entertainment News Editor, Kaitlyn McNab, receiving a prestigious Caribbean Media Award for her viral feature, ‘Grenada’s Spicemas Carnival Revolutionized the Way I Think About My Blackness and My Body’.
The piece, which McNab penned in August 2023, was born out of the Spicemas Press Trip Experience that McNab was a part of, curated in collaboration with the Grenada Tourism Authority and Industry 360 Ltd., founded by Tenille Clarke of Chambers Media Solutions and Melissa Noel of Mel&N Media. In the thoughtfully written essay, the acclaimed writer recounted her transformative experience playing mas for the first time as a participant in Grenada’s annual Carnival celebrations Spicemas. She broke down the purposeful impact Spicemas and Jab Jab made on her connections to her West Indian heritage and her body. CTO noted that her dedication to journalism and her impactful storytelling have truly made a significant mark and this award is a well-deserved recognition of her outstanding work.
CEO of the Grenada Tourism Authority, Petra Roach, congratulated the New York University graduate of Belizean heritage on her recent accolade. “As a guest of the Grenada Tourism Authority and its esteemed partners, Kaitlyn’s story is a shining example of the lasting impact of Grenada's Spicemas experience and her brilliant storytelling mirrors what every Grenadian holds near and dear: that the Spice Isle is an outstanding crown jewel of the Caribbean that changes the lives of everyone who touches these shores for the better.” Adding that Grenada represents a tourism paradise that marries pure adventure with rich heritage, Roach noted that there is something for every visitor to the tri-island stage. “Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique are proud spaces of cultural preservation, and this distinguished honor from CTO in recognizing the power of Kaitlyn’s story should act as an open invitation for visitors to explore the variety of experiences that we have to offer.”
The 2024 edition of Grenada’s Spicemas Experience is shaping up to be a memorable cultural extravaganza, taking place from August 1st to 14th, 2024.
