TORONTO — Grenada brought the Spice Isle to Toronto yesterday, serving up industry updates along with a hands-on taste of the island’s food, culture and community.

The fun event took place at Dish Cooking Studio in downtown Toronto, where Grenadian chef Frederick Alexander, founder of Nutmeg Creole Kitchen, took guests on a culinary journey inspired by the flavours, traditions and heritage of Grenada.

MORE DIRECT FLIGHTS

Air Canada is adding a third weekly Toronto to Grenada flight beginning Nov. 16, 2026, operating Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays through May 2, 2027. 

WestJet is also scheduled to resume its seasonal Toronto service Dec. 13, 2026 through April 23, 2027.

There’s also resort news, with the new InterContinental Grenada Resort & Spa opening this November. Meanwhile the new 120-room InterContinental Grenada Resort & Spa at La Sagesse is scheduled to open Nov. 4. The beachfront resort will feature five restaurants and bars, a spa, fitness centre, pool and beach club, plus more than 20,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting and event space. 

For travellers looking to explore beyond the main island, Sekou Stroude, Director of Sales, Canada for the Grenada Tourism Authority, highlighted Grenada’s sister islands of Carriacou and Petite Martinique, accessible by ferry, with small-aircraft connections also available.

But the broader message was that Grenada wants visitors to do more than simply arrive and stay at a resort.

“It’s not your typical vacation,” said Stroude.

“WE HAVE TO BE INTENTIONAL”

Randall Dolland, the GTA’s Chairman of the Board of Directors, doubled down on Stroude’s message, underlining a long-term strategy centred on higher-value, community-oriented tourism rather than a mass-market model.

Grenada is also looking to diversify tourism beyond its traditional strengths. Among the initiatives: medical tourism. A 250-room Mount Sinai medical facility is being developed in collaboration with Mount Sinai in New York City. The project is expected to include a teaching hospital and is being positioned as a potential foundation for future medical tourism.

For Dolland, diversification is part of building a destination that can continue attracting visitors for its culture, food, quality of life and community connections, not just its beaches.

“We have to now be intentional about what we’re building and how it is affecting everybody,” he said.

That philosophy extends to Grenada’s food and beverage products.

One example is Jab Oil, a Grenadian rum tied to the country’s Jab Jab Carnival tradition. Its nutmeg syrup is produced by the Grenada Cooperative Nutmeg Association, creating what Dolland described as a “closed loop of sustainability” that connects tourism spending directly with local farmers and producers.

“It’s a bottle of rum that tells a story,” he said.

There were plenty of those stories being told in the room.

As tourism officials spoke, Chef Frank and his team worked behind the scenes preparing traditional Grenadian fare, giving guests a literal taste of the destination. The menu included a Grenada-style seasoned fishcake, Wudman Fire Chicken and nutmeg spiced lemon loaf for dessert.

Grenada is leaning further into culinary and cultural events, with officials pointing to the Chocolate Festival, the Lobster and Lambie Festival on Carriacou & Petite Martinique (launched January 2026) and a new Grenada Flower & Garden Festival (Nov. 8 – 15).

For Dolland, the goal is to ensure tourism does not operate separately from everyday Grenadian life.

Rather than keeping visitors “behind a wall” at a resort, he said Grenada wants travellers attending the same events, tasting the same foods and spending time in the communities that make up the destination.

“We take you along with us,” he said. “That is part of our way of life, part of our culture, and you get to enjoy that with us.”

More updates about tourism in Grenada can be found at PureGrenada.com.

Lead image caption: Randall Dolland, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Grenada Tourism Authority; Chef Frederick Alexander; Jerry Grymek, EVP and Managing Director, LMA Digital; Sekou Stroude, Director of Sales, Canada for the Grenada Tourism Authority (all photos courtesy Annie Cicvaric)