The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

A ‘major’ hotel group has offered to open and manage the Grand Lucayan’s 192-room Lighthouse Point property, a Cabinet Minister has disclosed. according to Minister of State for Investments Khaalis Rolle.

During his contribution to the 2013-2014 Budget debate, Khaalis Rolle, minister of state for investments, said a proposal by was currently being reviewed in Hong Kong by the Grand Lucayan’s owner, Hutchison Whampoa.

“There is a major hotel group that has offered to open and mange the Lighthouse facility at Grand Lucayan. This is the sister facility to the Reef resort,” said Mr Rolle.

“That proposal is currently being reviewed by the management of Hutchison in Hong Kong. The group that made the proposal has tremendous group business activity. We are very excited about that.”

Earlier this year, Hutchison Whampoa signed an agreement with the Canadian-based Sunwing Travel Group for the renovation and reopening of the 480-room Reef Village. The Reef Village will be operated as a five-star, all-inclusive property by Blue Diamond Hotels and Resorts, an affiliate of Sunwing.

Mr Rolle added that the Government had also received a proposal from Club Med for the expansion and renovation of its property on San Salvador.

The Minister said that Government will soon sign a technical cooperation agreement with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) for the creation of an economic development unit in the office of the Prime Minister.

“That is significant for a number of reasons,” Mr Rolle added. “We have not taken an organised approach to economic development in this country for a very long time, and what we are seeking to do is have a planning function that helps us to plan the economy, particularly from a foreign direct investment perspective.

“This will not interfere with the role of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning. What this does is provide us with the capacity to understand what the influences are to grow different industries and manage different industries, and to get what we want from the economy.”