A Chinese contractor has been awarded the contract to upgrade the Maracas Beach. Tourism Minister Joseph Ross, who made the announcement during Thursday’s post-Cabinet news conference, said Bejing Liujian was awarded the contract at a cost of $233,191,981.

He said the upgrade is to be completed within 24 months. He said the company was chosen out of an international tender and it was one of the largest construction enterprises in the world. “Their experience, their history, their financial structure was the best,” he said. He said with the upgrade, there would not be any demolition of any existing buildings or structures.

“We are looking basically at the beach front, we are looking at the car park area, we are looking at going a little further south of the car park...I am not seeing in front of me any property to be demolished,” Ross said. He said there were many benefits to be attained from the upgrading of the beach, including employment for residents in the north coast communities. “There would be a quality beach experience for visitors and nationals resulting in improvements of the overall tourism product and enhancing Trinidad and Tobago as a premier Caribbean tourism destination of choice,” he said.