On January 22, 2026, a Grenada National Trust Team met with the Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Creative Economy to talk about something Grenadians don’t always connect to our economic future: our heritage.
In an age when global tensions can disrupt trade, travel and technology overnight, small states like ours must lean into what cannot be outsourced or sanctioned away – our culture, our history, our people.
That is where heritage tourism comes in.
From “Sun, Sea and Sand” to Stories
Across the world, travelers are searching for experience, not just hotel rooms. A recent travel trends report shows that 65 percent of top-searched dates and cities for 2026 are tied to major cultural, sporting and music events – Carnival, World Cups, festivals, global “mainstage” moments.
People are buying tickets for a story, not just a destination.
Grenada has stories in abundance. Forts that watched empires rise and fall. Towns and villages are shaped by sugar, cocoa and nutmeg.
Petroglyphs, slave walls, great houses and barracks. Churches and graveyards that quietly hold our memory of resistance and renewal.
Yet too many of these places remain invisible in our tourism industry and undervalued in our public policy.
Three Visions, One Missing Voice
We already have strong visions on paper.
- The Prime Minister has spoken publicly about restoring historic buildings to teach our children where we came from, and to deepen our cultural tourism offer.
- The Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Creative Economy has called for a clear strategy, stronger legislation, and a proper secretariat to organise heritage work.
- Senior officials as well as the Director of Culture have described immersive heritage districts – walkable corridors where locals and visitors mingle among museums, libraries, performance spaces and historic streets.
What we do not yet have is a clear, organised picture of what Grenadian people themselves think about heritage and heritage tourism.
Listening First: The National Heritage Survey
To fill that gap, the Grenada National Trust (GNT) has designed a Tangible Heritage Awareness Survey.
The survey asks Grenadians of all ages:
- Which sites matter most in your community?
- How often do you visit heritage places – and what keeps you away?
- Who should be responsible for protecting our historic buildings, monuments and landscapes?
- Do you believe heritage can help drive tourism and jobs?
The answers will not sit on a shelf. They will be shared with the Minister and his team, with the Prime Minister, with educators and local communities, so that policy on heritage, education and tourism is grounded in what citizens actually value.
From Forts and Falls to a Heritage Economy
Heritage tourism is more than putting a plaque on an old building.
It means:
- Restoring and interpreting key sites – forts, petroglyphs, estates, townscapes – using conservation standards that recognise climate change.
- Turning those places into living experiences: guided walks, night tours, storytelling, food festivals, music and theatre in historic spaces.
- Building the skills of Grenadians as guides, conservators, artisans, entrepreneurs and digital storytellers.
- Making sure communities near heritage sites share ticket revenues, jobs and business opportunities.
Done well, heritage tourism can lengthen visitor stay, increase spending, and spread benefits to parishes that today see little of the tourism dollar.
The Role of the Grenada National Trust
The GNT is not starting from zero. It is already a statutory body charged with protecting our cultural and natural heritage.
Volunteers and partners have spent years researching sites, advocating for conservation and organising talks, walks and school outreach.
But if heritage is to become a genuine pillar of tourism and national development, the Trust must be treated as more than an NGO knocking at the door.
January 20th, 2026, marks the 21st anniversary of the resumption of diplomatic relations between the People’s Republic of China and Grenada.
Over the past 21 years, China and Grenada have forged a robust partnership that has delivered substantial benefits to both nations and peoples. This partnership stands as a model of mutual respect, equality and shared prosperity between countries of different sizes.
I would proudly describe the remarkable achievements in our bilateral ties as being built on three solid pillars.
First, deepening political trust
Over the past 21 years, China and Grenada have been consistently committed to the principles of mutual respect, equality, and unwavering support for each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
China highly appreciates Grenada’s firm adherence to the one-China principle, which is the political foundation of our relationship. Our two countries have maintained regular high-level exchanges and dialogue during the years.
Last year, Hon. Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell paid a successful visit to China, and signed 14 Agreements and MOUs. These interactions have built a solid foundation of political trust and mutual understanding.
As fellow members of the Global South, China and Grenada share similar positions on upholding international fairness and justice as well as promoting open development.
Our two countries have also collaborated on global stage, share a commitment to multilateralism and uphold the international system with the United Nations at its core, and support each other in bilateral, regional, and multilateral affairs.
China firmly supports the Proclamation of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace, while Grenada supports China’s justified position against foreign interference in its internal affairs.
Second, expanding practical cooperation
Practical cooperation between our two countries has advanced rapidly and expanded across various sectors, including infrastructure, agriculture, education and human resource development, blue economy, low-carbon development, healthcare, housing, youth and sports, disaster prevention and relief and more.
In 2024, the trade volume between our two nations reached 27.4 million USD, marking a 13.98% year-on-year increase.
China and Grenada have inked 16 Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreements since 2005. Under these frameworks, a series of large-scale projects were successfully implemented with grants from the Chinese government.
The reconstruction and expansion projects of the Kirani James Athletic Stadium and the National Cricket Stadium have transformed these two facilities into premier venues for Grenadian, regional and international sports events and social activities as well.
Additionally, the 1,000 units of low-income housing project, a great gift from the government and people of China, offering comfortable homes for families in Grenada.
In the agricultural sector, we have carried out eight consecutive phases of technical cooperation, introducing and promoting advanced agricultural technologies and equipment to Grenada. Crops such as eggplants, cucumbers, winter melons, dragon fruits, wax gourd, five finger fruit and grapes have enriched the dining tables of Grenadian households, which contributed meaningfully to the efforts of self-sufficiency of fruits and vegetables in Grenada.
We are now steadily advancing the implementation of Phase 9 of the agricultural technical cooperation, which is expected to make a significant contribution to local food security and sustainable farming practices.
In the field of healthcare, a Chinese Medical Team served in Grenada from 2008-2010, and the Chinese Navy’s Ark Peace Hospital Ship has visited Grenada twice, providing high-quality medical service to the Grenadian people.
This tradition of support was powerfully sustained during the COVID-19 pandemic, as our two countries worked in close cooperation to combat the crisis. Medical experts shared experience through virtual meetings, and China provided Grenada with more than ten batches of essential medical supplies.
In the domain of youth and sports development, the table tennis technical cooperation program is proceeding through the Chinese government procurement process, with implementation set to begin by the end of the first quarter.
Additionally, discussions are underway regarding a new initiative aligned with green development principles. It is anticipated that further projects will be introduced in the future, contributing to Grenada’s pursuit of sustainable and green development.
Apart from the above mentioned, in recent years, we implemented more than a dozen of various community-level projects with fund support from the Chinese side, such as refurbishing community centers and sports facilities, constructing new public facilities, paving and extending street roads, installing sports field facilities, equipping ICT center, construction of play parks for children and donating sports equipment and electronic devices to schools.
After the passage of hurricane Beryl, we acted swiftly to provide assistance to NaDMA both in cash and in kind for its relief work. And we have also recently handed over one hundred and ten thousand ECD in funding to them. This timely support underscores our commitment to enhancing Grenada’s climate resilience.
All these efforts, serving as a vivid reflection of the goodwill and pragmatic spirit of the Chinese people, have greatly contributed to Grenada’s development and deepened the friendship between our two peoples.
Third, flourishing people-to-people exchanges
During the last 20 years, 13 Chinese art troupes visited Grenada, and in this year, we plan to invite a team of professional chefs to introduce authentic Chinese cuisine. And we sincerely hope that Grenadian cultural groups, artists, and musicians, will have the opportunity to visit China.
The embassy stands ready to provide full support for such exchanges, as we believe these cultural interactions build the strongest bridges of friendship between our peoples.
Since its establishment in 2015, the Confucius Institute has served as a vital platform for the people of Grenada to learn the Chinese language and appreciate its culture. Having attracted over 800 students, it has gained immense popularity within the Grenadian community and has actively fostered greater understanding and exchange between our two nations.
Education and human resources development are important components of cooperation between China and Grenada. China has provided training opportunities to the developing countries, including Grenada, for many years. Over the 21 years, more than 250 and 3,000 Grenadians have studied or participated in training programs in China respectively.
Last year alone, more than 580 Grenadians participated in various training programs in China, setting a new record for annual participation. Currently, over 70 Grenadian students are pursuing their studies at Chinese universities, among whom 35 are supported by Chinese Government Scholarships. These initiatives vividly reflect the deepening educational cooperation and mutual friendship between our two nations.
Our bilateral cooperation is further complemented by dynamic exchanges at the local level. The cities of Foshan in Guangdong Province and Ningbo in Zhejiang Province have established friendly ties with the Town of St. George’s and St. Patrick Parish respectively.
I am confident that there will be more sisterships between our two countries in the near future. These exchanges continue to foster mutual understanding and friendship, bringing our peoples closer together.
2026 marks the start of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan period, a significant juncture as we also celebrate the 21st anniversary of the resumption of diplomatic relations between China and Grenada.
As we reflect on the journey of bilateral relations over the last 21 years, we take pride in our collective achievements. These milestones have laid a solid foundation, built on unwavering commitment and mutual respect. Looking ahead, we are confident that our partnership will embrace even broader prospects.
China stands ready to work with Grenada to align our cooperation with the new opportunities presented by China’s pursuit of high-quality development, high-standard opening-up, and high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, which will continue to inject stability and positive momentum into the global economy.
Together, we will jointly advance the “Five Programs” proposed by President Xi Jinping in pursuit of shared development and revitalisation, and continue to support each other on issues concerning each other’s core interests and major concerns, jointly implement the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilisation Initiative, and Global Governance Initiative, uphold the multilateral trading system and an environment for open cooperation, and defend international fairness and justice as well as world peace and stability.
H.E.Yang Shu is the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Grenada