The official opening of Treasure Beach Village at Beaches Resorts in the Turks and Caicos Islands on Saturday marked the first major step in a planned US$1-billion expansion for the Jamaican-owned hospitality brand.

The investment will see Beaches Resorts double its footprint across the Caribbean over the next several years.

Speaking with The Gleaner during the ceremony, Jamaica Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness described the investment as an example of Jamaican “national wealth” extending beyond the island’s shores through regional companies capable of exporting talent, creating jobs and expanding the country’s influence across the Caribbean.