St Vincent and the Grenadines brings momentum to WTM London with new leadership, expanded airlift and a major hotel pipeline

The St Vincent and the Grenadines Tourism Authority (SVGTA) will attend World Travel Market on stand N7-310 within the Caribbean Tourism Organisation pavilion. It comes at an exciting time for the destination, which is one of the fastest-growing in the Caribbean, with visitor stayover arrivals rising 17.4% in the first half of 2025 and significantly expanded international airlift. 

After a change in government last November a new Minister for Tourism is also in place. Dr Kishore Shallow was appointed Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation and Sustainable Development in December 2025. He was previously President of Cricket West Indies. “The UK and Europe are vital markets for St Vincent and the Grenadines and WTM is the ideal place to strengthen our partnerships with the travel trade. We are delighted to participate this year to showcase our developing tourism and hospitality infrastructure and our unique Caribbean authenticity and identity.” said Hon. Dr. Kishore Shallow. 

The destination's new leadership team will be at WTM for the first time. Shafia London took up her post as Chief Executive Officer of SVGTA in July 2026. She has held senior commercial roles across the region, including Country Head for AB InBev covering Barbados, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Dominica, and Executive Director of the SVG Chamber of Industry and Commerce. 

“Together with the Minister, board and team at the SVGTA, my immediate focus as CEO is to transform our destination as a brand, elevate our marketing strategies, and forge stronger alliances,” said Shafia London. 

Virgin Atlantic flies from London Heathrow to St Vincent three times a week. The flight makes a short stop in Barbados, and passengers stay on board.  

Close to EC$2bn of tourism investment is in the pipeline, following the opening of Sandals St Vincent and the Grenadines in 2024. The projects include: 

• Beaches St Vincent at Mt Wynne (360 rooms) 
• A 280-room Marriott Autograph Collection resort at Peter’s Hope 
• Cumberland Bay Resort & Marina (150 rooms), with overwater bungalows 
• A new Palm Island development, with phase one due in December 2026 

The destination's total number of rooms is expected to grow by 34.5% to more than 4,450 by 2026/27.

A collection of 32 islands and cays in the Caribbean, St. Vincent and the Grenadines boasts the best of what the authentic Caribbean is renowned for. The Grenadines which stretch 45 miles south from the main island of St. Vincent, include eight inhabited islands: Young Island, Bequia, Mustique, Canouan, Mayreau, Union Island, Palm Island and Petit St. Vincent (PSV). The Tobago Cays (home of SVG’s national marine park) is a horseshoe shaped reef that shields five deserted islets and is known to have some of the best sailing waters in the world. SVG is a Marine Paradise, ideal for Adventure and Nature and rich in Culture and Celebrations.