The Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines will formally execute an agreement with Global Ports Holding (GPH) on Monday, October 26, to oversee cruise port operations and spearhead long-term sector development.
The announcement was delivered in the House of Assembly by the Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation, and Sustainable Development. The agreement marks a major milestone in the national strategy to upgrade port infrastructure, enhance destination competitiveness, and capture greater value from the global cruise industry.
The partnership directly addresses operational constraints caused by the growing size of global cruise vessels. St. Vincent and the Grenadines currently cannot accommodate XL-class cruise ships, while existing facilities face capacity challenges when hosting larger vessels such as the Britannia and Carnival.
To manage immediate docking constraints, authorities are hosting a visiting Carnival cruise ship at the modern port facility in Empire this weekend, accompanied by a special “Carnival for Carnival” celebratory street procession connecting the modern port to the main cruise terminal.
The long-term partnership with GPH comes ahead of a projected surge in cruise ship calls and passenger arrivals for the upcoming 2026–2027 season:
2024–2025 Season: 231 cruise ship calls and 247,000 passengers.
2025–2026 Season: 246 cruise ship calls and 249,000 passengers.
2026–2027 Projected Season: 355 cruise ship calls and 344,000 passengers.
This anticipated increase represents 105,000 additional passengers—a 43% growth rate in a single season.
The cruise port transition is the fourth pillar of a comprehensive tourism strategy managed by the Ministry of Tourism and the SVG Tourism Authority:
Love SVG Community Initiative: Engaging citizens across the country to strengthen the national tourism product.
Authentic Product Development: Ensuring visitors experience authentic local culture and attractions.
National Rebranding: Unveiling a updated visual brand identity and logo at the upcoming Independence parade.
Cruise Port Transition: Executing the GPH partnership to modernize port facilities.
Following a preliminary Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed in June or July, government officials conducted observational visits to GPH-managed cruise ports in Nassau, Bahamas, and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Extensive legal and technical evaluations were finalized under the guidance of the Attorney General’s Chambers.
Government officials underscored that a core objective of the GPH agreement is ensuring that expanded cruise tourism directly enriches local business owners and workers, including taxi and tour operators, vendors, restaurants, and retailers. Further details regarding the terms of the agreement will be disclosed by the Prime Minister following Monday’s formal signing.
