By Val Matthias. Updated 10:22 a.m., Thursday, October 29, 2026, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4).
The St Vincent and the Grenadines Tourism Authority has declined to disclose the cost of its new tourism logo, with Chief Executive Officer Shafia London saying the design cost “a fraction” of what was paid for the previous logo.
London was speaking in an interview on One New St. Vincent on Wednesday, October 28, following the replacement of the Authority’s 15-year-old logo.
She cited confidentiality requirements involving the Authority and its board as the reason for not revealing the amount spent on the rebranding exercise.
However, London maintained that the new design was relatively inexpensive, attributing the lower cost in part to the involvement of two local designers.
She said the Authority had “gotten away with this for cents” compared with what logo design can cost internationally.
The comments leave the actual cost of the new logo undisclosed, as well as the amount against which the Authority is comparing the expenditure.
London did not provide figures for the previous logo or the new design, making it impossible to establish the savings or independently assess the cost of the exercise from the information provided in the interview.
The new wordmark was developed with the involvement of an international branding agency, local stakeholders and two Vincentian designers. London said more than 100 Vincentians participated in focus groups during the design process, helping to shape the final product.
The Authority has said the redesign is part of a wider effort to strengthen SVG’s tourism identity and improve how the destination is presented to international visitors.
London stressed that the logo is only one part of that wider exercise and, by itself, is not expected to attract visitors. Its value, she said, will depend on how it is used across promotional materials, trade events, photography, videography and destination marketing.
The Authority plans to begin transitioning from the old logo on November 1, although London said some adjustments could still be made before then.
While the CEO described the new design as a relatively modest expense, the absence of disclosed figures means the public cannot determine the total cost of the rebranding, how the expenditure was divided between the agency and designers, or the precise savings compared with the previous logo.
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About the Author: This story was written and submitted by freelance journalist Mr. Val Matthias, a trained communicator with more than two decades in the media sector. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Media and Communication (UWI Mona), a Master of Science in Tourism and Hospitality Management (UWI Cave Hill), a Certificate in Digital Marketing, and has years of broadcast journalism experience rising to ranks of a programme manager. All supporting materials for this story have been presented, vetted, and verified. Mr Matthias can be reached at valmatthias188@gmail.com
