Grenada's underwater sculpture park just got 50% bigger and easier to view
Grenada’s tourism minister and the chairman of the island’s tourism authority were recently in the UK to promote one of the world’s most unique sub-aquatic experiences, along with increased airlift to the Caribbean destination.
One of Grenada’s most unique attractions, the Moliniere Underwater Sculpture Park, is gaining 31 new sculptures, joining the 75 already in situ. The new collection, which has been exhibited above ground at Prickly Bay Marina since August, will be submerged later this month. The original artist, British sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor, has added new carnival and folklore characters, while local artist Troy Lewis has contributed four pieces including a leatherback turtle.
“Every lifelike statue has been cast using a Grenadian model, and they celebrate who we are as a people. You’ll be able to see these new sculptures less than 10ft from the top of the water. It’ll be a tremendous experience up close,” explained Randall Dolland, chairman of the Grenada Tourism Authority. “We are also training 100 locals to scuba dive so they can become our influencers and talk about the experience with other islanders.”
Dolland visited the UK last week, with Grenada’s tourism minister, Lennox Andrews, to talk about the increased airlift for the Caribbean island and its sustainable tourism strategy.
Mr Andrews assured that the country’s tourism development strategy is focused on delivering controlled, sustainable growth, even with UK flight capacity increasing by 50% over a 12-month period.
British Airways increased its service from two weekly flights to three last December, and Virgin Atlantic is doing the same from December 8.
Speaking to TTG, Andrews said: “We’re pleased with the airlines’ show of confidence in our destination. But we’ll always hold onto being a boutique destination and give each visitor that personalised experience – that’s in our DNA.”
Grenada has rebounded quickly after the pandemic, with total arrivals for January – July 2023 nearly 50% higher than the same period in 2022. The UK is its second biggest international market behind the US.
Accompanying the increased flight capacity is a pipeline of new hotels, which includes Six Senses La Sagesse, due to open in early 2024 (with 100 rooms), Silversands Beach House, coming later this year (with just 30 rooms) and a 150-room InterContinental slated to open in 2025. The minister highlighted these properties as examples of the high-end, environmentally-friendly, authentically Caribbean properties that were meeting strict criteria to benefit from fiscal incentives offered for developers on the island.
Hand in hand with this, the minister spoke about the destination’s blueprint for community tourism, with government-backed grants of up to US$25,000 available for developing island tourist sites such as waterfalls and areas of historical significance including the birthplace of Louise Little, the activist mother of civil rights leader Malcolm X.
Andrews said the Grenadian government was working towards a more sustainable tourism industry, one that had the power to rebound quickly after shocks, and that the Grenadian people were fully invested in. “We want to encourage tourists on to the streets, to meet our people, to feel their vibes, their idiosyncrasies, their culture,” he said.
He added that tourists could feel relaxed walking the streets at any time of day in Grenada: “Crime is rare,” he said. “There was not one single act of violence reported during carnival in August this year. Our population size (113,000) means we all know each other and there’s a sense of community on the island.”
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