IF A GROUND-BREAKING CEREMONY can be taken as tangible proof that a project has truly started, then the Freundel Stuart Administration is entitled to full marks for pulling off the Sam Lord’s Castle project.
The decision by the Government to acquire the historic property and redirect the money that had been originally earmarked for the redevelopment of the Almond Resort in Heywoods, St Peter, to the sprawling St Philip undertaking makes absolute sense.
The arrival figures suggest that the island’s tourism industry is on the rebound, and the investment by Government and the private sector in new and regenerated facilities can only serve to tell the rest of the country that the confidence of key players in its future is rising. The leadership by Minister of Tourism Richard Sealy is also worthy of commendation.
But while we do not wish to pour cold water on the sector’s achievements in recent times, the progress at Sam Lord’s Castle and the general growth in the sector together also serve to place focus on another project that has been stalled for far too long — the Four Seasons project at Black Rock. It would appear that the Government, having been bitten so many times on this venture, has decided it will say very little at this time.
Our position, though, is that this beachfront land at Paradise is nothing short of a national treasure. It has been idle for far too long and every day it remains so it deprives the country of an opportunity to earn valuable revenue, and scores of Barbadian families the chance to better themselves. We therefore invite Minister of Finance Chris Sinckler to update the country on this project that is so dear to so many Barbadians.
In fact, we go so far as to suggest that if the efforts of the private sector to revive Four Seasons are not bearing fruit, then the Government, as trustees of the aspirations of Barbadians, must step in and do what is necessary. We do not believe that the Government can go wrong in acquiring the property in the national interest if those who now hold possession of it continue to be unable to raise it from the doldrums.
Four Seasons is a mammoth financial undertaking, but as Government has proven with Sam Lord’s Castle, size is no deterrent to success if you can demonstrate that what you have planned is viable. The general sense of rebound that now characterises our tourism sector would suggest that Four Seasons might have its best years yet ahead.
It cannot be in the best interest of the country therefore for us to leave such a vital undertaking entirely in the hands of the private sector – unless those private sector interests can demonstrate that they have the wherewithal to pull it off and that their own “private” interests coincide with the national interest.
In economic terms, clawing back from the declines of the past decade will not be easy for Barbados, and therefore no opportunity should be lost in exploiting every available avenue. Tourism appears to hold significant prospects for us on our road back to economic recovery and prosperity and Four Seasons can and must be a key factor.
We therefore look forward to another official ceremony soon signalling the restart of Four Seasons at Paradise.
