PM: Tobago, stakeholders open arms to Sandals

PRIME Minister Stuart Young says the Sandals Resorts Group have agreed to consider Tobago again as a possible location for one of its hotels.

He said that agreement was reached after there was consensus between government, Tobago House of Assembly (THA) and Tobago stakeholders to start over with "a clean slate" and ask Sandals to consider Tobago as a sixth investment for a hotel in the Caribbean.

No conditions have been set regarding a decision to be made on an investment by Sandals in Tobago, including a time frame for such an investment or whether the outcome of the April 28 general election would affect whether the investment happens or not.

Young said, "This is a good development. Sometimes God gives you a second opportunity at something."

He added, "Sometimes when you are given a second opportunity, what you do is you look at what happened in the past. If you have to pivot. If you have to make certain directional changes, you do so."

Young was pleased with the collaboration between all parties concerned which resulted in "a positive development and a step in the right direction for Tobago and the people of Tobago.

He promised as Prime Minister to do everything in his power "to secure the future investment and development in Tobago."

Young made these comments at a news conference at the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) – Central Administrative Services Tobago (CAST), Scarborough, Tobago on April 7.

Hours before the conference, there were meetings between government, THA and Tobago stakeholders and then meetings between representatives of these groups with Stewart and his team of executives.

Young thanked Sandals Group Resort head Adam Stewart and his team for being able to come to Tobago for the meeting.

"The timing was dictated by his (Stewart's) calendar."

Once the date of the meeting was set, Young contacted the THA and other Tobago stakeholders to invite them to be part of the meeting.

"Our position...central government's position is that the development and investments in Tobago are priority for us as a government. I certainly intend to continue that. But also that it was important that the people of Tobago as the various stakeholders – the farmers, the fishermen, the taxi operators as well as business people, the business sector, the hotel association of Tobago – participate in any discussion that I was going to have along with the members of the central government with Mr Adam Stewart and the Sandals Group."

Young believed it important to have Tobagonian politicians, such as THA Chief Secretary Farley Augustine and Progressive Democratic Patriots (PDP) leader Watson Duke attend the meeting.

He was pleased Augustine and Duke and their respective representatives were present. The two were also in the audience at the media conference.

Tourism, Culture and the Arts Minister Randall Mitchell, Sport and Community Development Minister Shamfa Cudjoe-Lewis, Minister in the OPM (Gender and Child Affairs) Ayanna Webster-Roy; Government senators Ancil Dennis and Laurence Hislop: THA Minority Leader Kelvon Morris and THA councillor Petal Benoit.

Young was pleased by attendance of representatives of Tobago fisher folk, farmers, taxi, divers, religious, business and hotel groups at the meeting.

There was an initial meeting between government, THA and Tobago stakeholder groups without the Sandals team being present.

Young said,"The purpose of that engagement was for me as the prime minister to have, quite frankly, an open conversation with the various stakeholders that I have just listed. And it was to tell them that it was central government's position, having looked closely at the Sandals brand, but not saying exclusively that the only hotel chain that should look at investing in Tobago is the Sandals brand."

Young added, "We wanted to have a conversation with the Tobago stakeholders because this is all about Tobago and it is all about investment in Tobago and importantly the development of Tobago."

Young said that kind of investment would lead to employment and increases in business in Tobago "and all of the basket of positivity and productivity that comes with it...

"It was an excellent conversation that dominated the room."

After hearing from all present, Stewart and his executives were invited to give them a presentation "and to have conversation with us."

Young: Stewart gave strong presentation

Young said the presentation which Stewart and his team gave was not one specifically for Tobago.

He described the presentation as powerful and passionate.

Young said Stewart showed what Sandals could do and the benefits he could bring.

Stewart, he continued, referred to the opening of a Sandals hotel in St Vincent and the Grenadines last March.

"The amount of positive growth that was generated from that. I honestly wish that every citizen of TT and most importantly, you the Tobagonians, could have seen that presentation."

Young said Stewart showed the Sandals hotel in St Vincent had increased its airlift with major airlines such as American Airlines now flying there, more than once a day on some occasions.

He disclosed at the end of the meeting, Stewart said he had always loved TT and "has had a particular passion for Tobago."

He said the representatives were shown that Sandals "spent 735 hours last year on prime time international television" to highlight all the Caribbean islands it has resorts in."

Young repeated, "He (Stewart) agrees it's a clean slate. The past is the past."

Before Stewart and his team gave their presentation, Young said Tobago businesswoman Diane Hadad gave a "very passionate and emotional apology" to them for what happened in the past and "any unfortunate words and language that were used, not by her, but by persons in the past."

Young said Stewart replied, "Listen. Bygones are bygones and let us get on with it. This is a clean slate."

After the presentation, government, THA and Tobago stakeholders held a second meeting in the absence of Sandals' officials.

Young described the conversation in that meeting as robust.

"We were looking to get one very important point out. I was looking in particular for consensus by everyone in that room and unanimous consensus that we should invite Adam Stewart and the Sandals Group to look at Tobago and to consider, future investment and making 'destination Tobago' part of the Sandals brand."

Young was happy that "almost immediately and unanimously, everyone in the room said an astounding 'yes' that we should pursue that path."

Duke and another PDP official Curtis Douglas, he continued, left the meeting just before the consensus was achieved.

Young said, "But before they left, they both indicated invitations for who they represent to Mr Stewart and the Sandals Group that they would like to see them in Trinidad."

Augustine, he continued, said "Tobago is open for business and they look forward to FDI (foreign direct investment), final investment and to attract FDI."

Young was pleased Tobago Business Association head, attorney Martin George, suggested representatives of Tobago stakeholders agree to a resolution before the Sandals team was invited back for a second meeting.

"I am happy to say it (resolution) was developed by the Tobago stakeholders with some legal input by me."

Young is an attorney by profession and appointed a senior counsel last year.

That resolution said, arising out of the meeting with the prime minister, THA, government and Sandals, the stakeholders have "collectively agreed that it is in the best interests of Tobago for us to invite the Sandals Group for discussions and negotiations for the bringing to Tobago of a Sandals resort if they so desire."

Young said, "That (resolution) was signed by everyone in the group from Tobago and the Tobago stakeholders."

Only Duke and Douglas did not sign the resolution owing to their absence.

Young repeated they expressed the same sentiment to those who signed the resolution, before they left and "said they could be counted in."

Stewart and his team were invited back in and Young reported the good news to them.

"He immediately thanked us and said they had five investments of new hotels throughout the Caribbean that they are embarking on."

Young suggested Tobago be made the sixth investment.

"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 to not only look at Tobago because that is what they have gone off to do."

Stewart left the meeting with a copy of the resolution.

Asked about the time line for Sandals to make a hotel investment in Tobago, Young replied, "We didn't put any pressure at all on Mr Stewart at all."

With the election three weeks away, he continued, it was unwise to put a time line on such an investment.

Speaking on the environmental impact of any possible project, Young said, "We are very, very mindful of the environmental groups but also, as was discussed in the meeting, is the law. We are not going to do anything to breach the law."

PM: Tobagonians will be kept in the loop

Young said there would be public consultations about any proposed hotel investment and promised to report regularly to Tobagonians on all developments related to the initiative.

He said if Stewart agreed to invest in Tobago, the presentation given to government, THA and Tobago stakeholders or a part of it, should also be given to the people of Tobago.

Asked by one reporter if there would be "bad press" again about Sandals' possible return to Tobago, Young did not see this arising.

"You are the media. You are the ones writing the story. You are the ones responsible for the input into what goes into the press."

Young said, " I would hope that just a few persons who may have different opinions, don't spoil anything that would be best for Tobago in terms of development. That would be best for Tobago in terms of investment."

He repeated, "But again, we are not there and I am not going to speak speculatively about 'bad press' in the future."

Asked if Stewart gave a commitment to return to Tobago regardless of whoever wins the election, Young replied, " On the 29th of April. I look forward to welcoming Mr Stewart and the Sandals Group should they take the decision to be back here in Tobago."

On whether advice was given during the meetings which the Sandals team was not present in, about a possible Sandals hotel in Tobago not being mentioned on any political platform in the election campaign, Young said, "If I had achieved that one – that leaders on political platforms, not only be cautious but be responsible – then I would have performed a miracle this morning."

He disclosed there was some discussion in that regard.

"But the discussion and the agreement was that the position coming out of today's meeting is exactly as I have articulated."