Increasingly St. James is becoming known as the playground of the rich and famous, and as a haven for sun-starved tourists with its up-market hotel resorts.

[2] In local colloquium, St. James was known as the "Gold Coast", but due to its ongoing popularity, it is now often referred to as the "Platinum Coast", reflective of the parish's many glitzy beach-front mansions, pristine beaches, luxury hotel resorts, and consistently high land prices.

Noted for its shopping and restaurants in Holetown, Saint James, is central to Barbados' bustling tourist industry,[citation needed] with historical attractions including the St. James Parish Church and the Portvale Sugar Factory, one of the few remaining operational sugar factories on the island.

The parish is home to the prestigious Queen's College, one of the foremost schools not only in Barbados, but also the Caribbean, founded over a century ago by British plantation owner Colonel Henry Drax.

The parish contains the following towns, villages, localities, settlements, hamlets and neighbourhoods: St. James is the home of five primary and two secondary schools.