World · Latin America · 1 day ago
Tobago resort plan divides community over tourism and conservation
Rocky Point is a coastal area in south-west Tobago, known for its beach, reefs, rock pools and natural features.
In 2021, the government agency Eteck invited proposals to develop the 12-hectare site.
Locally owned Superior Hotels won and received a 99-year lease for a planned $500m, 200-room resort with private villas.
The plan has divided people who see large-scale tourism as a way to support economic growth and those who want development to protect the area.
Duane Kenny and others proposed a smaller eco-resort, with nature trails and turtle watching, and say the hotel plans do not adequately address ecological and archaeological concerns.
Environmental advocates and local residents have also challenged the project, which includes a site with historic features such as the remains of Fort Monck.
The dispute is about how to balance tourism investment with preserving Rocky Point for the community and future generations.
A planned 200-room resort at Rocky Point in south-west Tobago has divided people over tourism development and environmental protection.
Locally owned Superior Hotels won a 99-year lease to develop a $500m property with privately owned villas.
Environmentalists and other opponents say the project could damage Rocky Point’s environment and heritage.
Supporters of larger-scale tourism investment say Tobago needs to upgrade its tourism offering.
Opponents have called for greater accountability and have raised concerns about the project’s design and scale.
- Who
- Superior Hotels is developing the project, while environmentalists, Tobagonians and others oppose it.
- What
- A planned $500m, 200-room resort with privately owned villas has prompted a dispute over development at Rocky Point.
- When
- Eteck invited proposals in 2021; the project has been contested for the past four years.
- Where
- Rocky Point, at Back Bay in south-west Tobago.
- Why
- Supporters see tourism investment as a way to upgrade Tobago’s tourism offering; opponents fear environmental and heritage damage.
Supporters of large-scale tourism development
Opponents of the resort
Tourism investment
Supporters of large-scale tourism development
Tobago needs private investment to upgrade its tourism offering.
Opponents of the resort
Community-owned, smaller developments would be preferable to large-scale development.
Project scale
Supporters of large-scale tourism development
A premier hotel and property development is planned for the site.
Opponents of the resort
The 200-room hotel and amount of concrete could harm the environment and may not succeed.
Site protection
Supporters of large-scale tourism development
Not stated.
Opponents of the resort
The project should preserve Rocky Point’s ecological and archaeological features for future generations.
Tobago is very focused on attracting private partnership investment because our tourism product is now in that evolution stage, where we’re looking to upgrade the offering that we have.
Our focus is to make sure that whatever is done on that site is done in an environmentally sound way, in a way that preserves it for Tobago and for future generations.
The amount of concrete development on this site, at least in the current model, makes us worry that the impact on the environment will be significant,
Eteck invited qualified firms to propose a hotel and property development at Rocky Point.
Superior Hotels won the project and received a 99-year lease.
Environmentalists, Tobagonians and others have challenged the project.
- Project cost
- $500m
- Planned hotel
- 200 rooms
- Lease term
- 99 years
- Site area
- 12 hectares (30 acres)
- Location
- Rocky Point, south-west Tobago
Sources
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