Global Ports Holding (GPH) signed a 30-year concession on October 26 to develop and operate Saint Vincent Cruise Port in Kingstown, the capital of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
The company expects to begin port operations in the first quarter of 2027, subject to the satisfaction of conditions precedent. The signing was disclosed to investors by GPH's parent company, Global Yatırım Holding.
The concession includes a phased investment programme to modernise port infrastructure, increase berthing capacity to accommodate larger cruise ships and improve the passenger experience.
GPH expects the port to serve more than 250,000 passengers during the 2026/27 cruise season. In June, the company said the port was handling more than 200,000 passengers annually.
The agreement follows a memorandum of understanding signed with the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines on June 11. That agreement established exclusive negotiations over the port's management, development and operation. GPH said at the time that the port would remain under government ownership.
"St. Vincent and the Grenadines is well positioned within the Southern Caribbean cruise itinerary," Mike Maura, Jr., regional director of GPH Americas, said in June.
The port lies in the South-Eastern Caribbean near Barbados, Saint Lucia and Grenada. Elsewhere in the region, GPH recently outlined plans for a new terminal and a Pier 1 rebuild at San Juan Cruise Port in Puerto Rico. GPH has operated San Juan Cruise Port since February 2024 under a 30-year public-private partnership.
