Apple Leisure plans to build two more Jamaica resorts
Apple Leisure Group plans to build two new resorts in Jamaica, adding more than 800 new rooms.
At the sidelines of the State of the Industry Conference in St Thomas, US Virgin Islands, Apple Group CEO Alex Zozaya said the company hopes to build around 400 rooms each at two sites it wants to acquire.
It is also close to an agreement to buy an existing Jamaica resort, and although Zozoya would not confirm the name, it is thought to be Sunset Beach Resort in Montego Bay.
"We cannot disclose who we are talking with, but by November we will make an announcement," he said.
Apple’s AMResorts brand already runs two Secret Resorts in Jamaica and brings in around 250,000 visitors to the island each year via its destination management businesses Cheap Caribbean, Travel Impression and Apple Vacations.
At the conference Zozaya also spoke of the challenges ahead for Caribbean tourism as a whole.
In a keynote speech he spoke of investment obstacles "that create uncertainty," a disjointed regulatory framework and overbearing bureaucracy.
"The Caribbean needs to step out of its comfort zone, be pragmatic and run tourism like a business," Zozaya said.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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