Barely two months after opening its newest resort in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sandals Resorts hosted some 361 travel advisors there for its annual Sandals Travel Advisor Recognition or STAR Awards function.
This is a staple event where Sandals awards the top performing travel advisors from all over the world. It also allowed these travel advisors, many of whom have never been to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines before, the opportunity to experience the beauty of this previously unexplored destination.
Minister of Tourism Carlos John commended the investment made by Sandals to promote the destination, and the economic benefits that will accrue to St. Vincent and the Grenadines as a result.
At the same time the Minister said his government was also committed to maintaining the pristine beauty of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, “It’s one of the last Caribbean destinations which hasn’t really fully developed into a mass tourism island, and I want to tell you, we don’t intend to go that route.
We are big on environmental sustainability, we are big on conservation, and we are big on preserving our nature and what we have, and we want to ensure that we protect it.”
Sandals Executive Chairman Adam Stewart, said sustainable tourism is exactly what the company values and is seeking to develop, “Sandals 2.0 means a lot of things, but you’re feeling it right here; 50 acres, the path less travelled …a tourism destination that is difficult to develop to this level but we have never been afraid of it. Any one of our competitors would have put 1000 rooms or more on this property …but Sandals 2.0 will never take you there. It’s going to continue to be an elevated experience.”