The return of Sandals to the headlines, through the recent statement by Minister Stuart Young SC, is a reminder that we’ve learned little from the mistakes of the past. As someone who once served as Chairman of the Tourism Development Company (TDC), I speak from personal experience. I was asked to resign from that post—not because I had done anything wrong, but because I stood by a simple, fair principle: that whatever incentives and benefits were offered to Sandals should also be made available to local hoteliers and guesthouse owners.
When I refused to resign on principle, I was advised by the then Minister of Finance to cite “family matters” as my reason, or as he put it, to “take one for the boys.” I rejected both suggestions. I had done nothing wrong.
What I had done was advocate for fairness and transparency in tourism development. Unfortunately, that advocacy was inconvenient to the powers pushing the Sandals deal. The now-infamous Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), exposed thanks to Afra Raymond’s successful legal challenge, showed a lopsided agreement. The state was to fund and build the resort on public land, while Sandals would enjoy sweeping concessions—tax holidays, duty-free status, unlimited work permits for foreigners, and no obligations to local employment. All risk, all cost, all burden—carried by the public.
Is that development, or is it a handover?
The rejection of the project by Tobagonians was not arbitrary. As THA Chief Secretary Farley Augustine noted, it was undemocratic, economically unsound, and environmentally questionable. The proposed site—No Man’s Land—is a Ramsar-listed wetland. Yet, to date, there has been no public disclosure about environmental safeguards or updated assessments.
Development cannot happen in darkness. It cannot bypass stakeholders or sideline local businesses. If we are to believe that lessons have been learned, then this new approach must:
- Ensure full transparency, including the release of all agreements before they are finalized.
- Require rigorous environmental scrutiny.
- Treat local hoteliers and guesthouses with the same regard as international chains.
- Involve real public and stakeholder consultation—not after the fact, but from the start.
Tourism is critical to Tobago’s future, but not on any terms and certainly not at any cost. Fairness and public accountability should not be punished—they should be the minimum standard. The core elements that shape a successful and sustainable tourism experience are Culture, Conversation and Community. Are these 3 C’s included in the Sandals meeting of April 7?
Dennise Demming 