Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has no statute that requires opt-in consent for marketing email. So why bother? Because your list is rarely only local. A European villa guest, a Canadian cousin or a US charter client brings their own country’s rules with them, and inbox providers treat unrequested mail as spam no matter where it was sent from. Permission is also simply what makes email work: people who asked to hear from you open, click and book.
What good permission looks like
- Freely given: the person chose to join. The box is unticked by default, and signing up is not a condition of getting a room or a receipt.
- Specific: they know what they will get, such as “monthly news and offers from our Bequia guesthouse”.
- Recorded: you can show when, where and how each contact joined.
- Easy to withdraw: every message carries an unsubscribe link that works.
This lines up with GDPR, which applies when you target people in the EU, and with Canada’s CASL. See our definition of consent for more.
Collecting consent in real Vincentian settings
At the front desk or on check-out
Hotels and guesthouses often collect emails for bookings. A booking address is not a marketing opt-in. Add a separate, optional line on the registration card or a tablet form: “Send me news and offers (you can unsubscribe at any time).” Note the date.
On the dock or the dive boat
Charter companies and dive shops in the Grenadines can use a short form on a tablet or a QR code printed on the boat, linking to a Mailpro sign-up form. It works on a phone and stores the consent with the contact.
At events, markets and Carnival
Promoters, mas bands and vendors can run a sign-up at the booth or use a registration form for tickets and costume pick-ups, with a separate box for marketing. Keep the paper sheets if you collect by hand, and type them up with the event name as the source.
Online
Use double opt-in on website forms. The subscriber confirms from their inbox, which proves the address is real and was entered by its owner. The FAQ on the difference between opt-in and double opt-in explains both.
Existing contacts: what about the old list?
Many businesses in Kingstown have years of addresses from invoices, enquiries and business cards. Before adding them to a marketing campaign, send a single, polite re-permission email: remind them who you are, explain what you plan to send and ask them to confirm. Keep the ones who say yes. Do not buy or rent lists.
SMS needs its own permission
A guest who agreed to emails has not agreed to text messages. Ask separately, especially for +1-784 mobile numbers you may later use for promotions. Transactional texts, such as a boat pick-up time, are different from promotional ones. The FAQ on collecting SMS opt-ins covers wording.
How long does permission last?
There is no fixed rule in SVG. Under CASL, implied consent from a purchase generally expires after two years unless it becomes express consent. A practical approach for everyone is to remove or re-confirm contacts who have not opened or clicked anything for a long period, such as 18 to 24 months. It keeps your list healthy and your consent records credible.
Keep proof, and keep it safe
Store the source and date of each sign-up with the contact. Mailpro records sign-ups from its forms automatically. Contact data is hosted in Switzerland, outside US jurisdiction, and never sold or rented, which helps when a European guest asks where their information is kept.
For the legal background, read our overview of email marketing law in SVG. This page is general information, not legal advice.