T&T government lobbying Sandals to choose Tobago for new hotel

Prime Minister of Trinidad & Tobago Stuart Young Monday remained optimistic that Jamaica-based Sandals Resort International will reconsider a decision to establish a hotel in Tobago, six years after it pulled out of a similar project.

Young, speaking to reporters following a meeting between a Sandals delegation led by its chairman, Adam Stewart, and stakeholders from Tobago, told reporters that he had urged the Sandals chairman to consider adding Tobago to their plans for new properties in the region.

“He immediately thanked us and said they have five investments right now of new hotels throughout the Caribbean that they are embarking on. I told him to make Tobago the sixth,” the PM said.

“He has undertaken that they will go back, they will have the necessary discussions, and I am hoping in the not too distant future the Sandals group will take a positive decision … and indicate to us that they are prepared to brand Tobago as part of their destination packages and to invest in Tobago a Sandals hotel,” he added.

“I give the undertaking that as Prime Minister, I will do everything in my power to secure the future investment and development in Tobago,” Young said.

Sandals Resort was expected to develop a resort in Tobago – a 750-room hotel on the controversial Buccoo Estate, popularly known as No Man’s Land – but announced it was pulling out of the project in January 2019.

The government had acquired the land as part of its efforts to recover a TT$15 billion debt owed by CL Financial, a failed conglomerate that was taken over by the Trinidadian government in 2009.

In explaining the company’s decision to withdraw from the project, Sandals cited negative publicity as the main reason. Officials in Tobago had complained about the hotel destroying the ecosystem in the area.

Young said prior to Monday’s meeting with Stewart and the Sandals delegation, various interests in Tobago, including politicians and the business community, met and adopted a resolution in full support of a Sandals resort being developed in Tobago.

“Be it resolved that having had a meeting with the Prime Minister, the Tobago House of Assembly and the central government and the team from Sandals Resort, we the leaders and representatives of sectors and interest groups in Tobago have collectively agreed that it is in the best interest of Tobago for us to invite the Sandals group for discussions and negotiations for the bringing to Tobago of Sandals Resort if they so desire,” the resolution read.

Young said it was signed by all persons in the group. He also urged them all “not to spoil a potential opportunity”.

The meeting on Monday was “very cordial, I go beyond cordial types of energy in the room and I am really hoping and looking forward that in the not too distant future Tobago will be the pride of the Sandals group,” Young told reporters.

“I am hoping, fingers-crossed,” he said.

CMC