Hardwicke: Majority want Sandals

Nicholas Hardwicke, proprietor of the Seahorse Inn and former persident of the Tobago Hotel and Tourism Association says negative voices against the Sandals project in Tobago are few and far between and that the vast majority of people think the project will bring benefits the island.

Newsday reported Hardwicke as saying that the Sandals project in Tobago will be huge economic boost, not just for the tourism and hospitality sector but the general economy of the island.

"Hopefully the delay is temporary because the industry requires something like a Sandals to address the economies of scale to make the industry viable," he told Newsday.

Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley said in Parliament on Friday that Sandals Resorts International (SRI) that one of the reasons Sandals may have chosen to "slightly" delay its Tobago resort was because of offers from other Caribbean destinations that may have been "more welcoming."

He said that SRI was focussing on a resort in Barbados and repairing resorts in other islands that were damaged by hurricanes in September.

"I think they are also very wary of the kinds of welcome they might have in Trinidad and Tobago," he added.

Hardwicke, who is also a member of the Tobago Tourism Agency (TTA), said what was needed now was leadership from the Prime Minister to follow through to ensure that his vision for Tobago was realised.

Businessman David Wong, from the Tobago Division of the TT Chamber of Industry and Commerce, said it was disappointing that the island was still unable to get a clear picture of the project’s trajectory.

"I don't know what the delay is. We didn't even know when it was coming," Wong said.

"Sandals is not the industry. The industry is tourism. It is part of the industry. We have to do a lot of things to build the industry," he said, adding that the focus should be on enhancing the general infrasturcture of the island to facilitate tourism, including improving the airport, sea port, and roadways.

"We should have (tourist number targets) and make sure we have hotels, restaurants, taxis, hospitals and cinemas-- the capacity to host and entertain people when they are here. Regardless of Sandals or anyone else we need to be building the sector," Wong said.