The Tribune

By CHESTER ROBARDS

Tribune Senior Reporter

Crobard@tribunemedia.net

GEORGETOWN, Exuma - Sandals’ talks with the government over the future of its Emerald Bay resort have been “fruitful”, the property’s General Manager Jeremy Mutton said yesterday, adding that first quarter bookings are up over last year.

Mr. Mutton said that government is now looking at how it can help to boost Exuma’s exposure and help the Sandals Emerald Bay property to continue to be successful.

“We have spoken at length (with the government), particularly towards the latter part of last year about the costs of running a business on the family islands and how prohibitive it can be,” he said.

“If you have two entities that want the same goal then you’re halfway there and at the end of the day the government wants Sandals Emerald Bay to succeed and Sandals wants Sandals Emerald Bay to succeed.

“It’s just a case of finding a common ground... what they can do to ensure our long-term success and continued growth.”

Last year it was rumoured that Sandals was so challenged at its Emerald Bay property that it might close its doors.

However, the company’s chairman Gordon “Butch” Stewart dispelled those rumours, revealing, though, that the property was challenged by a number of factors.

Mr. Mutton said the company’s first three years have been a challenge with the company having to attract airlift to the island through subsidies and by throwing the weight of its brand around. It was how they attracted Air Canada.

However, the new airlift has also been beneficial to the island of Exuma as a whole.

“We need to continue to look at the airlift because without the airlift a destination really can’t succeed,” said Mr. Mutton.

“It’s still very hard. We’re still in very difficult economic times around the world.”

Though bookings are up, Mr. Mutton said, room rates and revenue have been a challenge due to the still-recovering market.

“While the occupancies are quite healthy for the first quarter of the year, certainly the rates that you command... we’re really having to be quite aggressive,” he said. “It’s a challenge in terms of the revenue getting in.”

Mr. Mutton said Sandals is now waiting to see what the government will do this year, since the two sides completed talks about the way forward for the island of Exuma.

“It’s really now for the government to work out what they can do, not just necessarily for Sandals, but Exuma as a destination in terms of any marketing support and those types of things,” he said. “The government has given some suggestions to our company and it’s now just really looking at those, as we approach the new year, as to what will work.”