The Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines has removed COVID-19 protocols for cruise passengers during the upcoming 2022/23 season.

Minister of Tourism, Carlos James made the announcement to stakeholders at the 28th conference of the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) in the Dominican Republic this week. The FCCA Conference which opened on October 11 and ends today, October 14 has brought together leading cruise industry executives, government leaders, and stakeholders to discuss tourism developments and cruise operations including safety and security. According to the tourism minister, St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) 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 nation’s health facilities.

During the last cruise season, the government instituted protocols to facilitate cruise passengers, including safe zones established for those who were vaccinated.For the 2022/23 cruise tourism season the destination will now have new, relaxed health guidelines, welcoming unvaccinated cruise passengers to the destination for the first time in two years.

As SVG prepares to welcome the cruise lines, and with La Soufriere volcano now settled, the tourism minister reassured stakeholders and cruise industry executives that St. Vincent and the Grenadines is safe and free to be explored 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 Soufriere volcano, your strategic partnership allowed us to navigate those turbulent times,” Minister James said (API).