Tourism jobs triple as six hotels greenlit in single-year building boom

Barbados’ tourism industry is in the midst of an “unprecedented employment surge”, Minister in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs Ryan Straughn declared, announcing six major hotel projects currently under construction during Monday’s Budget speech. 

The developments, he said, represent a combined investment of $1.786 billion and are projected to create over 4 000 permanent jobs alongside thousands of temporary construction roles.

Straughn, delivering his first national Budget presentation, framed the projects as evidence of “robust economic performance” under Prime Minister Mia Mottley’s administration. He cited 2024 GDP growth of four per cent compared with 2023, driven by tourism, business services, and construction.

“Nowhere in the economic record of this country have we had six major hotels being constructed at the same time,” he told Parliament, detailing developments including:

• Pendry, Six Men’s ($300m; 74 rooms, 46 residences; 300 construction jobs, 250–300 permanent roles)

• Indigo ($100m; 132 rooms; 250 construction jobs, during construction and 100 permanent roles)

• Hyatt Ziva, Lower Bay Street ($186m; 387 suites; 1 200 construction jobs, 1 500 permanent roles)

• Pierhead ($100m; 150 residences; 300 construction jobs, 400 to 500 permanent roles

• Royalton, Holetown ($300m, 220 suites and rooms; 700 construction jobs during construction, 500 permanent roles)

• Sandals’ Beaches, Heywoods ($800m; 532 suites; 1 700 construction jobs, 1 800 permanent roles)

The minister also noted renovations at four existing hotels, with closures staggered to minimise visitor disruption. Colony Club (96 rooms) and Crystal Cove (88 rooms) will reopen in July 2025 and February 2026 respectively, while Turtle Beach’s 162 refurbished rooms are slated for a May 2026 relaunch.

Straughn insisted that these closures were tangible signs of the high level of  business and investor confidence under the administration. 

“Within 18 months, there’s going to be a significant need for well-trained hotel workers if the growth trajectory is to be sustained,” Straughn said.

“This is what business and investor confidence look like. And not just confidence, sir, it is jobs, jobs, jobs,” he declared, prompting desk-thumping approval from government MPs. 

The minister linked the construction boom to “15 consecutive quarters of growth” – a figure to be formally confirmed by the Central Bank governor next month. 

(IMC1)

Top takeaways

• $1.7bn hotel investment: Six new luxury resorts under construction, adding 1 493 rooms and 3 550+ permanent jobs by 2026

• Four per cent GDP growth in 2024: Tourism, construction, and business services drive economic rebound

• 15 quarters of expansion: Central Bank to confirm record-breaking growth streak next month

• Renovation wave: Four major hotels temporarily closed for upgrades, reopening dates set through 2026

• Workforce urgency: Finance Minister warns of “significant need” for trained hospitality staff within 18 months