Kingstown St. Vincent June 16, 2026-St. Vincent and the Grenadines is still developing its tourism identity and remains relatively unknown internationally, according to Tourism Minister Dr Kishore Shallow, who says the country must improve infrastructure, services and define what it is offering visitors before it can compete more effectively in the region.
Speaking on Hot FM’s morning programme on 16 June, Dr Shallow said one of the first issues he identified after taking office was the absence of a clear national tourism direction.
“When I got to the ministry, it was clear that we don’t necessarily have a particular mission,” he said. “We don’t understand what is it we are selling as a destination.”
The minister said the country’s tourism model should not be viewed as a choice between mass tourism and exclusivity, arguing that St. Vincent and the Grenadines is uniquely positioned to support both.
He said the mainland could accommodate larger visitor volumes while the Grenadines continue to offer a more exclusive and luxury-focused experience.
“At this point, we are not at the stage where we have to determine and say no to mass tourism and only exclusive because we don’t have the numbers yet,” he said.
Dr Shallow described the destination as naturally attractive but acknowledged that the tourism product remains underdeveloped.
He said international awareness of St. Vincent and the Grenadines continues to be limited, recounting an experience during a visit to Singapore where a tourist told him they had never heard of the country.
“That’s still the reality out there,” he said.
According to the minister, the government’s immediate focus is to define the country’s tourism offering and strengthen areas identified as weaknesses.
He said efforts are being directed towards improving infrastructure and raising service standards.
“Our infrastructure is lacking,” he said. “Our service is still very limited, meaning we are not very hospitable.”
Dr Shallow said St. Vincent and the Grenadines must continue developing its tourism product to the level of neighbouring destinations before expecting stronger international demand and investment.