Minister Bartlett Lauds New Sandals Investment

Jamaica Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has hailed a multi-million US dollar investment by Sandals Resorts International as the kind of positive development that needs to be highlighted amid the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Sandals is currently carrying out over US$350 million in investments in Jamaica, with more to follow as it expands and upgrades several properties. 

Speaking at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for High Grove Village, which was officially opened at Sandals Royal Caribbean, Montego Bay, yesterday (December 23), Jamaica Tourism Minister Bartlett hailed Sandals founder, the late Gordon “Butch” Stewart saying he had left a legacy that was world-renowned and was playing a major role in making Jamaica stand out as the premier resort destination in the Caribbean.

“I think the legacy that “Butch” has left the world by way of this iconic and most aspirational addition to the tourism landscape, Sandals, is indeed in great hands, and I want to commend Adam and the team for carrying this legacy so well,” said Bartlett. He also highlighted Sandals moving forward with its development of high-end luxury products as “something that not only inspires us in the industry but gives us a great moment of delight and pride.”  

Minister Bartlett said arising from his promotional tours over the past six months,

“We have detected an appetite for the Jamaican experience, and we’re also seeing a desire to engage Jamaican brands.”

Speaking on the COVID-19 pandemic, Minister Bartlett said while there was a concern for emerging variants, there was so much more good news, including that the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC) at the University of the West Indies had received special recognition as the World’s Leading Tourism Initiative at the World Travel Awards (WTA) 2021 held in Dubai last week. 

“This is a signature statement of how the tourism product in Jamaica has developed and how the intellectual and academic elements have come together to give us a quantum leap in terms of understanding how to manage disruptions and how to prepare ourselves for waves of disruptions such as pandemics,” said Minister Bartlett. He added that it was, therefore, necessary “to take note of what’s happening and to glory in what we’re doing rather than to be negative.”

Sandals Executive Chairman Adam Stewart disclosed that “We are looking at over US$350 investment in Jamaica and that doesn’t include Dunn’s River Phase 2.” Current projects include expansion of Sandals Royal Caribbean with 84 rooms, including a 48-suite High Grove Village, officially opened yesterday. Additional investment is slated for next year on Sandals Dunn’s River, Sandals Negril and US$250 million on Beaches Runaway Bay. 

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