The Canouan Rebrand

The Caribbean’s tourism industry will always be in a state of perpetual competition between longstanding and established accommodation providers, and the newcomers who seek to stake their own claim. We see this battle play out daily at a local level between competing hoteliers, and nationally as the opening of a big, new hotel on one part of an island can naturally take away business from another part of it. But the scale and scope of recent activity on the St Vincent and Grenadines island of Canouan is a cut above the regular competition.

In the space of just a few years, this island and the nation in which it resides have experienced a number of major upgrades that serve as powerful drawcards for enticing tourists. These recent endeavours of the Canouan community are compelling, and are sure to offer some inspiration to others working within the tourism sector.

The Way It Was

Looking back on it now, many would say it’s easy to see why Canouan was a prime candidate for a refresh. In the mid-2000s the island was – as journalist and travel writer Chris Caldicott called it – “a bit of a Donald Trump theme park”. Regardless of what people may think of Trump as president of the United States, the Trump brand achieved immense fame and recognition during his tenure leading it.

Nonetheless, although the signature style of the Trump brand – the brash ‘in your face’ parading of glitz – has played well in New York, Las Vegas and other capitals of commerce, this style and the ubiquity of the Trump brand across the island, with a Trump Monte Carlo Casino, D.J. Trump luxury villas and Trump International Golf Club, arguably had at the very least a disconnect with the otherwise understated and serene nature of Canouan.

Preparing for a New Era

The groundwork for a new Canouan was literally laid with construction of its new runway; two Citation jets were also added, able to transport high-net-worth individuals (HWNIs) to and fro. Thus, the island’s branding as a place where – as Bloomberg mused – “billionaires go to escape millionaires”, now had the infrastructure to match. That said, the island happily accommodates anyone, however they arrive.

The opening of the nation’s new Argyle International Airport in 2017 also meant that those seeking to disembark on the main island for some fun before venturing to Canouan, arrived at a world-class airport – a key pillar, not only of the nation’s transport infrastructure, but its pitch to attract new investment from global accommodation providers and other businesses.

A Universal Appeal

Canouan is a pricey prospect for a holiday, with overnight rates for a one-bedroom ocean view room at the Mandarin Oriental (formerly the Pink Sands Club before a 2018 rebrand) currently starting at US$1,300 – among the most expensive in the Caribbean. Yet, its relative seclusion, abundance of pristine beaches and estimated population of under 2,000 appeals not only to those modern day tycoons seeking an island that calls them (as St Barts did to the Rockefellers), but also to the John and Joan Smiths of the tourism world who desire a holiday where luxury and nature harmonise.

The high price of spending a night at the Mandarin Oriental means that those who can afford it know the odds are small that their room will adjoin another with some heavily-liquored and raucous college students on a backpacking adventure. The hotel has just 39 accommodations (a mix of suites and villas) so any guest will have no trouble finding a deck chair in the afternoon sunshine.

Clearly the island of Canouan has constructed a distinct identity, but what can other accommodation providers and locales derive from this community?

Calling Off Gadgets

A hotelier does not need to be on Canouan to offer guests a chance to disconnect from daily life. As well as a number of yoga, meditation and similar wellness retreats that ask people to put aside the digital devices, increasingly accommodation providers are looking to implement strategies that reduce constant gadget use on-site. Some offer rewards, such as free snorkelling trips and desserts, to those guests who agree to do away with their phones for a few hours, while other providers take a firmer approach, implementing a total ban on the use of devices in certain public areas.

Ultimately such an approach must always allow for some shades of grey but the growing popularity of device-free zones shows that while some guests delight in collecting an array of holiday snaps for social media, others still relish the traditional approach to a holiday that allows them to power down, relax and spend some quality time away from their phone.

A Touch of Luxury

A hotelier in the region considering a shake-up of their offerings does not need to match Canouan in its construction and other capital outlay to reap the benefits of similar moves. After all, a resort does not need to rely on having private jets nearby, as oftentimes, amidst a sea of competition, the promise of complimentary collection in a private car from the airport can ease a potential guest’s final apprehensions about the trip, worried that transport from baggage claim to beach sands will be a headache.

By creating a holiday experience that offers a guest the comfort of great accomodation and all amenities but without the perpetual flash of a smartphone camera, there can be every expectation that, just as Canouan is appealing to privacy-conscious HWNIs, so too can another Caribbean resort, at a different price range, appeal to those longing for a holiday that allows them the old-fashioned opportunity to ‘get away from it all’. The hotelier would be establishing a unique niche in an economy where the value of maintaining digital well-being and pursuing digital detoxes is increasingly recognised.

Meanwhile, Mandarin Oriental intends to build on its official regional debut in Canouan. The hotel group has announced a new location in the region, in Grand Cayman, set to launch in 2021.