Minister of Tourism Carlos James (right) shares a moment with Associate Vice President Government Relations Caribbean for Royal Caribbean Group, Wendy McDonald (left).
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic--The government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines has announced the removal of COVID-19 protocols for cruise passengers during the upcoming 2022-23 season, according to a press release from St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ Ministry of Tourism.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines tourism minister Carlos James made the announcement to stakeholders at the 28th Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) Conference in the Dominican Republic last week.
Held from October 11 to 14, the FCCA Conference brought together leading cruise industry executives, government leaders and stakeholders to discuss tourism development and cruise operations, including safety and security.
According to the tourism minister, St. Vincent and the Grenadines took the decision to relax its health protocols for arriving cruise passengers following a period of low infections globally and low COVID-19-related admissions to the island’s health facilities.
During the last cruise season, the multi-island State implemented protocols to facilitate the movement of cruise passengers, including safe zones established for vaccinated cruise passengers, according to the release.
For the upcoming 2022-23 season, the destination will swap those protocols with new relaxed health guidelines, welcoming unvaccinated cruise passengers to the destination for the first time in two years, the release adds.
As the island prepares itself to welcome new and returning cruise lines to its shores and with the island’s La Soufrière volcano now settled, the tourism minister reassured stakeholders and cruise industry executives that St. Vincent and the Grenadines is safe and free to explore during the 2022-23 cruise season.
“In spite of the many challenges encountered in the last two cruise seasons, from a global health pandemic to the eruption of our country’s La Soufrière volcano, your strategic partnership allowed us to navigate those turbulent times,” Minister James said.
