THA: Two new hotels coming to Tobago

SECRETARY for the THA Division of Tourism, Culture, Antiquities and Transportation Tashia Burris has announced that two major hotel developments are coming to Tobago. Burris was one of the secretaries to report in the THA’s first quarterly report for the year in its Mandate Monday event. The report was carried live on the Office of the Chief Secretary’s Facebook page.

She said to date, there have been meetings with two major hotel chains on the developments to be built on the island.

“The idea is to position Tobago as being ready to attract foreign direct investment and to attract major hotel developments. We’re pleased to say that discussions have commenced with respect to two of these developments – one in east and one in west.”

THA Chief Secretary Farley Augustine elaborated.

“In Roxborough, it is the Saint’s Development. A sod-turning happened many, many moons ago. Of course, we turn a lot of sods at the beginning of elections or on the cusp of elections, so that happened many, many moons ago, but they have finally started in Roxborough. You’ve seen the lands being cleared and some infrastructural work happening opposite the Renaissance. That’s what’s happening there.”

The project overlooking the beachfront is the $350 million Argyle Falls Resort and 126 townhouses, expected to be completed in the next two years.

With regard to the west Tobago development, he said for the first time, an executive team has met with the team wishing to build the Marriott Hotel.

“When I say for the first time, the principals in that project have said to us that prior to the announcement of that project, they did not meet with any executive in the THA...They met with members of the executive about a week and a half to two weeks ago, and the next step is that we would be bringing them to Tobago, because we met with them in Trinidad.”

He said stakeholders would also be invited: "Those from the historical and conservation societies, those from the neighbouring communities, surfers, beachgoers – once you’re a stakeholder, we’ll be inviting you to be part that tour of the premises."

This was in order to make it "very clear to the developers the need to protect certain aspects of Tobago’s heritage as they build.”

The Marriott project is a $500 million first-class hotel and property development bearing the Marriott brand. It is to be constructed in 2023 to boost the island's tourism sector, and is expected to be completed in 2025.