More rooms needed for VincyMas 2025

Minister of Tourism, Carlos James, has made a call for persons with unregistered accommodation to take steps to get tourism approved in order to bolster the room stock for the 2025 Vincy Mas season.

With the country’s biggest event less than three weeks away and visitors expected to descend on the country, the need for additional accommodation has once again presented itself.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, June 10, 2025 at the CDC Victoria Park headquarters, Minister James disclosed that data showed all major hotels are fully-booked ahead of the carnival season.

“I recall around this time last year we held a press briefing to give an update on our numbers leading into carnival season and just before the ICC [International Cricket Council] World Cup- and in fact what we were showing then was a 75 to 80 capacity in terms of occupancy rate at hotels. I am happy to report that in the same period this year, almost every major hotel in St Vincent and the Grenadines is at 100 percent occupancy for the carnival season,” James revealed.

“When you factor in the smaller boutique type operations and accommodations we are roughly about 95 percent or thereabout in terms of total occupancy.”

James noted the urgent need to “ramp up” accommodation for the destination in excess of the existing 3,000 rooms.

“Right now, as we speak, there is a shortage of rooms. Call the Tourism Authority, indicate your availability for registration purposes… so that we can put you on to people who are calling us constantly… trying to find rooms [and] trying to find accommodation.”

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