‘Sandals Effect’
Luxury resort brand credited for St Vincent and the Grenadines tourism boom
SAINT Vincent and the Grenadines has smashed its tourism records with a 25 per cent increase in visitor arrivals in 2024, a feat that travel writers and Vincentian Government officials credit, in part, to the arrival of the all-inclusive luxury Caribbean brand, Sandals, in the destination.
For the first time in the country’s history, stopover arrivals surpassed 100,000, reaching an impressive 101,471 visitors by December 2024. This surge marks a transformative economic boom for the multi-island State, driving job creation and boosting airlift capacity.
The 2024 début of Sandals Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is widely seen as the catalyst for this growth, significantly raising the country’s profile on the global travel stage, Caribbean Journal wrote in its January 16 publication, just one day after St Vincent’s Minister of Tourism Carlos James announced the record-breaking figures.
It is being described as the Sandals Effect, a phenomenon observed in the Caribbean destinations where Sandals Resorts has established a presence. The term refers to the positive ripple effects the resort brand brings to a destination, including increased tourism, an employment boom, community development, and additional airlift.
A strategic partnership between Sandals and JetBlue Airways led to the launch of a major New York to St Vincent route, directly supporting the resort’s operations and providing a clear example of the Sandals Effect in action.
Beyond the resort, the benefits extend to local businesses such as tour operators, taxi drivers, restaurants, farmers, fishers, and entrepreneurs — all of whom experience a significant boost.
This tourism boost is now being hailed as one of the Caribbean’s most remarkable success stories of 2024.
Sandals St Vincent and the Grenadines has been the subject of multiple tourism success stories, one of the most recent examples being its number one ranking in the Best All-Inclusive Caribbean Resort category of
USA Today’s 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards for 2025.
Since its spring opening last year the resort has also attracted a constellation of Hollywood stars and high-profile guests.
