Jamaica welcomes the world back with renewed spirit as Sandals spearheads the island’s tourism revival. From reopened resorts to revived attractions, momentum is building. This Christmas, Jamaica’s Tourism Minister offers a hopeful message, inviting travelers to return and play a meaningful role in the nation’s bright new chapter.

Jamaica is stepping confidently into a new era of renewal, optimism, and global re-engagement. As travelers return in steady waves and investment energy rises across the island, the nation’s tourism sector is experiencing a revival led in large part by homegrown hospitality powerhouse Sandals Resorts International (SRI).

This winter season marks a symbolic turning point. With five major Sandals and Beaches resorts now reopened—Sandals Dunn’s River, Sandals Royal Plantation, Sandals Ochi, Sandals Negril, and Beaches Negril—the island’s north coast is once again buzzing with the rhythms of visitors rediscovering Jamaica’s famous warmth, culture, and natural beauty.

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Sandals Sets the Pace for Jamaica’s Tourism Resurgence

Sandals® Resorts: Made Of Caribbean [Official Website]

The Caribbean is more than a place—it’s a state of mind. We’ve got endless ways to open your senses to the Caribbean’s natural wonders.

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A Christmas Wish From Jamaica’s Tourism Minister

Jamaica’s Tourism Minister extended a heartfelt message to the global community, calling on travelers and investors to be part of the nation’s forward momentum.

“The best Christmas gift Jamaica could receive is the return of our visitors—those who love our island and believe in our future,” the Minister noted. “Every traveler who steps onto Jamaican soil doesn’t just take a vacation—they support families, communities, and the continued growth of our nation.”

His holiday wish is not merely symbolic. Tourism remains one of Jamaica’s most vital economic engines, touching sectors from agriculture to transportation. As travelers come back, their presence fuels job creation, supports local businesses, and breathes life into the cultural spaces that give Jamaica its dynamic identity.

Communities Poised to Benefit From a New Chapter

The impact of tourism’s return extends beyond beaches and resorts. Across the island, artisans, tour operators, musicians, farmers, and small-business owners stand ready to reconnect with visitors.

Jamaica’s government and private sector leaders aim to channel this resurgence into sustainable, community-centered growth, ensuring that the benefits of tourism reach deeper and wider than ever before. With Sandals’ major investment and reopening push, the island has a strong anchor for this renewed chapter.

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“Welcome Home” — Jamaica’s Message to the World

For an island known for its soul-stirring music, unbreakable spirit, and unmatched hospitality, the new season brings more than economic recovery—it brings emotional restoration.

As Stewart shared while celebrating the reopening of the resorts:
“Our guests don’t just visit Jamaica—they come home to it. And the moment they return, they feel the magic again.”

With the holidays approaching, Jamaica stands ready: ready to shine, ready to grow, and ready to welcome the world back to its shores.

Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts stands united with its communities during this period of adversity and remains committed to supporting recovery efforts while ensuring the safety and wellbeing of its guests and employees. Adverse weather linked to Cyclone Ditwah temporarily affected operations at several of its properties. The hotel group has issued a statement that says, ‘At a time when many of the communities continue to feel the impact of the floods, our thoughts are with everyone affected. Throughout this period, our priority has remained the safety and wellbeing of our teams, our communities, and the guests in our care. All guest safety protocols were upheld, in house guests remained safe, and timely updates were shared with our travel partners and stakeholders to ensure clarity and continuity. Thanks to the swift response and dedication of our teams, we are pleased to confirm that all affected resorts Cinnamon Lodge Habarana, Habarana Village by Cinnamon, Cinnamon Citadel Kandy, Kandy Myst by Cinnamon, and Trinco Blu by Cinnamon have now resumed welcoming guests.’

Hishan Singhawansa- CEO -Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts, says, “Despite the temporary disruptions caused by Cyclone Ditwah, I am immensely proud of how swiftly and safely our teams restored full operations. Our focus now is twofold, continuing to support the communities around us as they rebuild, and ensuring the comfort and wellbeing of every guest who places their trust in us. The warmth and resilience of Sri Lanka’s hospitality remain unchanged, and all our properties are fully operational and ready to warmly welcome Indian travellers this holiday season.”

As of 1^st December 2025, all Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts properties are fully operational. Resorts’ operations are functioning as normal. Importantly, business continues uninterrupted across its entire portfolio, with guests arriving, staying, and departing as scheduled. All bookings, arrivals, and planned activities continue as scheduled.

As part of its commitment to supporting communities during this time, Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts together with the John Keells Group and the John Keells Foundation continues to assist those affected. As a hospitality brand, its priority is to support the nation’s recovery while ensuring the continued comfort and safety of all guests and communities. Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts will continue to provide updates as needed and stands firmly with the people of Sri Lanka.

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At dawn, when the sea is still the color of blown glass, fishermen once pulled their wooden boats across the warm, flour-soft sands of Levera Beach. The ritual was as old as the village itself. But on a recent morning, the path was blocked by a new sign: PRIVATE PROPERTY — AAA Kaf Investment Co.

The Saudi-listed conglomerate, little known on the island just a few years ago, now holds a 99-year lease on 64 hectares of this protected coastline — a stretch locals consider among the most ecologically delicate in Grenada. Its logo, printed in metallic gold, is now the most visible symbol of a transformation unfolding across the Caribbean, driven not by storms or political upheaval but by a surge of foreign capital reshaping who owns the region’s land, passports, and future.

A Quiet Redefinition of Sovereignty

For decades, Caribbean states have marketed themselves through sun-drenched advertisements and cruise brochures. But increasingly, their most valuable export isn’t tourism — it’s sovereignty itself.

The region’s citizenship-by-investment (CBI) programs, introduced as revenue lifelines after economic shocks, have evolved into a billion-dollar industry. According to the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank’s 2024 report, member nations issued 4,813 passports through these programs last year — a 31 percent jump. Saudi nationals accounted for 433 of them, placing the Kingdom among the fastest-growing cohorts of new Caribbean citizens.

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Collectively, the programs generated $579 million, or about 6.4 percent of the GDP of the participating Eastern Caribbean states.

“Passports have become the new offshore oil,” said one regional economist, who requested anonymity due to government ties. “Small states are effectively monetizing sovereignty — and foreign investors understand its value better than most.”

Deals That Reorder the Map

Among the region’s leaders, foreign investment — particularly from Saudi Arabia — is often framed as an engine of development. But parliamentary records, gazette notices, and corporate filings reviewed by this publication reveal a series of concessions whose scale and duration are unprecedented.

Grenada: The $2.1 Billion Beach Deal

In July 2024, Grenada’s Parliament approved a deal granting AAA Kaf Investment Co. a century-long lease on Levera Beach. The price: $1 per hectare per year for the first decade. The company’s planned resort complex is valued at $2.1 billion — more than Grenada’s annual GDP.

“An entire coastline for the price of a mango,” muttered an opposition MP during a parliamentary break, still incredulous months later.

St. Kitts & Nevis: A Tax Holiday for Turtle Beach

Dar Al-Arkan, a Riyadh-based developer, was approved for a 15-year corporate tax holiday for its $550 million marina and resort at Turtle Beach (CBI/2024/047). The project, marketed to affluent Middle Eastern buyers, includes villas eligible for citizenship.

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Barbados: Petrochemicals at the Water’s Edge

In Barbados, Sabic Petrochemicals secured 25 years of exemptions — covering corporate taxes, land-transfer fees, and withholding taxes — to build a $300 million methanol terminal, according to GN 164/2024 of the Official Gazette.

Jamaica & Suriname: Energy and Ports

Agreements involving the Saudi Ports Authority and Saudi Aramco total nearly $800 million, spanning port modernization, energy infrastructure, and long-term crude supply arrangements. Individually, these deals appear to reflect economic ambition. Together, they represent a reordering of access and control across the Caribbean basin.

Soft Power, Hard Assets

Saudi Arabia’s approach aligns with Vision 2030, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s sweeping plan to diversify the Kingdom’s economy and expand global influence. Tourism, logistics, and overseas infrastructure are key pillars.

The Caribbean, with its strategic voting blocs in international bodies, offers the Kingdom something money cannot easily buy: diplomatic leverage.

“These are not just business decisions,” said a former Caribbean ambassador to the U.N. “They are geopolitical investments.”

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China and the UAE are also active investors, but analysts note that Saudi deals stand out for their speed, opacity, and the extent of tax concessions.

A Transparency Gap Widens

Governance watchdogs warn the region is entering dangerous territory.

In Transparency International’s 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index,  Suriname (40), China (43), Jamaica (44), Grenada (56), Saudi Arabia (59), and Barbados and the UAE (68). Below the “serious risk” threshold is lower than 50. The global average, however, is 36.

Yet, in each country, critical documents — including MOUs and concession agreements — were not tabled within the required disclosure period. Grenada’s Clerk of Parliament confirmed in November 2025 that several Saudi-related documents remain “under review.”

Without transparency, public trust erodes, and political accountability falters.

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Environmental Costs, Measured in Mangroves

Beyond economics and geopolitics, the region’s ecological future may be the biggest casualty.

Resorts and marinas often require clearing mangroves — natural buffers against storm surge and erosion. Marine biologists warn that removing these ecosystems increases climate vulnerability in one of the world’s most hurricane-prone regions.

“It’s a paradox,” said Dr. Maureen Baptiste, a coastal ecologist based in Trinidad. “Caribbean leaders advocate fiercely for climate justice internationally, while approving domestic projects that undermine their own resilience.”

Winners and Losers in a Changing Caribbean

Winners:
• Developers with multi-decade tax breaks
• Foreign investors with new passports, property, and political access
• Political elites who broker deals and secure donor networks

Losers:
• Local communities priced out of beaches and housing
• Future governments constrained by long-term financial commitments
• Domestic entrepreneurs unable to compete with tax-free foreign giants

“Economic leakage” — profits flowing out of the region — is already visible in the tourism sector. Analysts worry the new deals may compound that trend.

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‘People Just Want a Say’

In Sauteurs, the fishing village nearest Levera Beach, residents say they were never consulted about the century-long lease. Some fear they’ll soon need permission to reach the sea their families worked for generations.

“We’re not against development,” said a 63-year-old fisherman, sitting beside his faded blue pirogue. “But we should have a say in what happens to our land. We’re the ones who live here.”

What Comes Next

Regional leaders argue they cannot afford to turn away investment. But critics insist the choice is not between development and stagnation — it is between inclusive growth and a century of dependence.

Across the islands, quiet conversations are growing louder: What does sovereignty mean when beachfronts, ports, and even passports are for sale?

If You Care: What Ordinary People Can Do

• Talk about the issue. Many Caribbean citizens and members of the diaspora have no idea how rapidly foreign governments are acquiring land and influence.
• Support local journalists, artists, and community groups documenting these changes.
• Spend intentionally when traveling. Patronize locally owned guesthouses, tour guides, and restaurants to keep money circulating in communities.

Change is inevitable. But who gets to shape it — and who benefits — is still in contention. For now, the only constant in the Caribbean’s new era of dealmaking is the rising tide.