Government to spend less on marketing the country, says Burke

By Linda Straker

Finance Minister Nazim Burke said on Sunday that one of the benefits of having the Sandals brand as part of the island’s tourism sector will be to reduce Government spending on marketing.

“This is a well-known brand which engages in its own marketing and with Sandals on the island it will no longer be necessary to pay the airlines that money to come to the island,” he said.

The Tourism Ministry, through the Tourism Board, has arrangements with a number of airlines to guarantee that there are year-round flights and be compensated if the seats booked falls under a certain number, especially during the low season. Failure to pay can result in the airlines pulling out of the country.

He disclosed that Sandals Resorts International, which was developed by Jamaican Gordon “Butch” Stewart and is renowned for its luxurious all-inclusive resorts, has purchased the recently closed 100 rooms La Source Hotel and will be rebranding the property as a Sandals brand.

According to him, the plan is to increase the property to 265 rooms. “As the hotel expands, there will be jobs not only in the hospitality area, but also in the construction sector. I therefore see this has being very impactful on Grenada,” he said. “All those who lost their jobs with the closure of La Source are expected to be rehired for the new owners,” he assured.

Burke said that Sandals, which engages in massive marketing and naming the islands where they are
located, will put Grenada among the choices for destinations among the Sandals client list. “Giving us an opportunity to be known without Government spending for that marketing, the brand advertises far and wide and I know that will give us mileage within the tourism industry,” he said.

Sandals’ primary hotel brands are Sandals and Beaches, fittingly named given their location along some of the most sought-after stretches of sand in the world. With more than a dozen properties open or under construction in Jamaica, the Bahamas, St. Lucia, Antigua, and elsewhere, Sandals continues to take its properties to a higher level of service, truly earning the many awards bestowed on its brand of “Ultra All-Inclusive” resorts.