Tourism Minister Says Sandals Beaches Resort Alive and Well

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NASSAU, BAHAMAS – There’s still no official start date for the long-awaited Beaches Resort on Exuma, but the country’s tourism minister says the project is still on track. Sandals Emerald Bay closed its doors on August 15, 2024, for a $100 million upgrade as it transitions into Beaches Resort, a family-focused, all-inclusive resort. The shutdown impacted more than 400 employees, some of whom were relocated to other Sandals properties.

Chester Cooper, Deputy Prime Minister & Minister of Tourism, Investments, and Aviation

“Although the agreements are in place, there’s going to be a signing soon. The recent comments from the head of Sandals is that the project is a go. They have some other issues as you are well aware, and they’re working to resolve those issues. But I’m looking forward to the development of Beaches as a family, all-inclusive style resort.”

Despite the resort’s closure temporarily taking 249 rooms offline, Cooper says the island’s tourism sector has remained resilient, thanks to a booming vacation rental market.

Chester Cooper, Deputy Prime Minister & Minister of Tourism, Investments, and Aviation

“Exuma has long been a vacation rental market, and I think, after COVID, the vacation rental and houses into communities became a more popular form of tourism. But what we are seeing is not just a concentrated area of tourism around the Sandals property. They’re going into Ville and Ramsey and Forbes Hill and Williamstown and Garden Road and places where traditionally they didn’t go.”

With new airlift from Air Canada on the way and a strong marketing push from the Beaches brand, Cooper says the return of the Sandals Group is expected to further energize the island’s tourism economy.

Chester Cooper, Deputy Prime Minister & Minister of Tourism, Investments, and Aviation

“It’s going to be helpful. It’s going to help us to attract more air lift. They have big marketing muscle, so I don’t seek to downplay their contribution at all to Exuma as a destination. But suffice to say, local Bahamians are making money from the vacation rental business, and that warms my heart.”