The sooner Almond Beach Village in St Peter reopens, the better, says president of the Holetown Chamber of Trade Inc. Mark Simmons.
Speaking to the MIDWEEK NATION last week following a news conference to launch the Holetown craft and farmers’ market, Simmons said he was not in a position to say whether retail sales in the area had fallen with the April 30 closure of the 32-acre beachfront property.
However, he said the closure had “affected Barbados overall” not just from an accommodation standpoint, but because 500 workers lost their jobs and could not contribute to the economy as before.
“I am eagerly anticipating and hoping that it can be bought as soon as possible and reopened . . . . I think it’s a very valuable property just like Four Seasons is a very valuable property. It has so much potential, it’s incredible and for it to be closed, especially at this time of year, it would have to be a big blow,” he said. (NB)